Greek gambling regulator proposes new player protection measures
The HGC’s proposals include the creation of a national gambling self-exclusion register.
Greece.- The Greek gambling regulator, the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC), has opened a consultation on a range of proposed new player protection measures. Gambling operators and other stakeholders have until September 15 to provide feedback on the proposals.
The proposed measures, which require approval from Greece’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, include the creation of a national self-exclusion register. The regulator would maintain the register, which would allow players to choose a period of between one week and ten months to self-exclude from gambling.
The player would then need to make a request to lift the exclusion, which would be possible at any time after the period chosen has elapsed. The register would include data on the length of the exclusion and the licensee that received the request.
Other proposals in the consultation include the creation of player cards that would allow players to gamble at casinos with a link to online player accounts. Meanwhile, licensees will have an obligation to train their staff on gambling regulations via specialised education and training programmes. A dedicated training manager would need to be able to provide details on training to the regulator on request.
Another new measure would see licensed casinos host studio spaces with specialist equipment from which to operate live dealer games. Finally, the proposals would make it a requirement for licensees to have a financial security reserve and to provide clearer notifications of opening hours.
Greece regulated online gambling in 2021. Last year, it confirmed a relaxation of stake limits for online casino gaming and poker, raising the maximum wager for online slots and table games from €2 to €20.
