Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance has introduced draft legislation targeting the country’s illegal gambling market, estimated at €1.67bn in annual turnover, with new digital enforcement powers, expanded regulatory staffing, stiffer criminal penalties, and a dedicated fine structure for advertising unlicensed gambling services.
Scale of the Problem
The draft law is grounded in data from the Hellenic Gaming Commission showing that around 799,000 Greek citizens — approximately 9.5% of the population — participated in illegal gambling in 2024. Average spend per player reached €2,089 over the year. The state is estimated to lose approximately €400m in tax revenue annually as a direct consequence of activity channelled to unlicensed operators.
The figures give legislative weight to a reform package that authorities describe as a comprehensive modernisation of enforcement tools.
Enhanced Digital Powers for the Hellenic Gaming Commission
Under the proposed framework, the Hellenic Gaming Commission gains direct authority to intervene in digital environments. The regulator will be able to request removal or disabling of illegal gambling content from internet service providers, social media platforms, search engines, and other digital intermediaries. It can also demand identifying information linked to users, accounts, or websites suspected of involvement in unlawful operations.
The bill also introduces an automated website-blocking mechanism described by officials as a preventive tool capable of immediately disrupting unauthorised operators and curbing illegal promotion online. The current blacklist of unlicensed websites will be extended to include individuals and legal entities that organise, conduct, or promote unlawful gambling, alongside a record of related violations and imposed sanctions.
To support the expanded mandate, the commission’s staffing ceiling rises from 80 to 110 permanent positions. The additional headcount covers 70 administrative roles and 40 specialised scientific posts focused on gambling oversight, data analysis, and digital monitoring. The regulator currently employs 72 staff across permanent and seconded personnel.
Criminal and Administrative Penalties Restructured
The legislation restructures criminal sanctions across two categories. For illegal non-gambling games, courts will impose prison sentences of at least three years and fines between €10,000 and €500,000. For illegal gambling operations, penalties increase to a minimum of ten years’ imprisonment with fines ranging from €50,000 to €700,000. Aggravating factors — including professional-scale activity or the involvement of minors — carry harsher sentences of at least ten years and fines between €100,000 and €800,000.
On the administrative side, the bill introduces a standalone penalty for the advertisement and promotion of illegal gambling services for the first time. Fines range from €5,000 to €50,000 per violation. The provision covers digital marketing channels explicitly, including influencers, streamers, affiliate marketers, and digital advertising networks.
Field Enforcement and Municipal Powers
The Gaming Inspectors Corps receives upgraded authority under the draft law. When inspectors uncover criminal evidence related to illegal gambling, they will act as special investigative officers with the power to collect evidence, compile case files, and submit them directly to prosecutors, moving beyond their current administrative-only role.
The legislation also reinstates the power to administratively seal premises conducting gambling without the required licence, a measure that was repealed in 2014. Municipalities will be permitted to revoke operating licences when illegal gambling is confirmed, preventing recurrence under new ownership or business structures.
Procedural rules in criminal trials involving illegal gambling, particularly computer-based gambling in venues such as internet cafés, have also been clarified. Licensed providers holding exclusive rights will be permitted to appear in court in support of prosecution in cases that infringe on their regulated rights.
Market Context
The reform follows a period of sustained growth in Greece’s regulated iGaming market. Greece’s licensed iGaming sector reported 50% revenue growth in 2025 as regulation tightened, though the parallel illegal market’s scale makes clear that channelisation remains a central challenge. The gap between licensed and unlicensed activity in Greece is consistent with broader patterns observed across European markets, where digital enforcement has consistently lagged the pace of illegal market growth.
The expanded blacklist and digital takedown powers align with approaches taken in other jurisdictions. Italy launched a digital firewall initiative in 2025 aimed at blocking access to unlicensed operators, and the Netherlands saw its channelisation rate drop below 50% in the first half of 2025, underlining how enforcement gaps affect regulated market revenue.
The Greek draft law now moves through the legislative process. If passed, the timeline for implementation of the automated blocking mechanism, expanded commission staffing, and the new advertising penalty regime will be set by secondary regulation.
Source: Hellenic Gaming Commission / Greek Ministry of National Economy and Finance
