Greece Moves to Stamp Out Illegal Gambling with Sweeping Reforms

The Greek government has announced its determination to eliminate illegal gambling, both land-based and digital, branding it not only a financial menace to the state but also a social ill that undermines communities. The task of constructing a new legislative framework to prosecute unlawful operators has been placed in the hands of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, which has been instructed to devise IT-driven and data-focused measures to combat the growing presence of illicit online betting.

The initiative has been pushed to the forefront by Finance and Economy Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who underscored the government’s aim “to stop the loss of €1.6bn annually, including €500m in tax revenue.”

Recent studies indicate that the problem has reached critical levels. Findings from research conducted by the Hellenic Gaming Supervision and Control Commission (EEEP) together with Kapa Research revealed that 800,000 citizens—equivalent to nearly 9.5% of the population—took part in illegal gambling activities during 2024. Of these, 390,000 were involved in online play, 215,000 visited unauthorized physical establishments, and 194,000 used both. On average, participants spent €1,934 per year, with 28% stating they gambled solely through unlicensed platforms.

The demographic profile of players skews heavily toward men aged 25 to 44, but the report also highlighted a concerning increase in gambling among students and young adults. Social policy specialists and health authorities have sounded alarms over the broader societal impact of these findings.

Minister Pierrakakis did not mince words: “The numbers are shocking. This is not just a leak of public resources, but a deep social pathology. We are embarking on a determined effort to restructure the space with transparency, rigor and modern tools.”

The forthcoming legislative package, which will be tabled for public consultation in the autumn of 2025, is expected to roll out sweeping reforms. Among the measures will be the immediate closure of physical sites caught hosting unlawful gambling, especially internet cafés and private clubs. Any business shown to be complicit will risk losing its operating license, while individuals obstructing inspections or supporting illegal operations will face criminal charges, including possible prison sentences.

Recognizing the online dimension of the issue, the government plans to strengthen DNS filtering systems, which have already blacklisted over 11,000 unauthorized gambling websites. A new AI-powered digital monitoring system will be deployed to detect suspect patterns in real time. In addition, systematic cross-referencing of user data, platform activity, and financial transactions will be conducted in cooperation with the Bank of Greece.

Authorities are also intent on advancing preventative policies and encouraging legal alternatives. Public awareness campaigns will be launched to warn citizens about the dangers of illegal gambling, and self-exclusion programs will be made available to help those at risk. To further bolster the legal sector, the Ministry will introduce tax incentives to attract players away from unlicensed operators and into the regulated market.

A coordinated crackdown has already begun. In July, the EEEP set up a joint taskforce with the national police, judiciary, and financial intelligence unit, dedicated to dismantling criminal gambling networks and pursuing offenders through the courts. The Commission has characterized this as a “collaborative approach,” urging expanded cooperation among government institutions, regulators, and public authorities to mount a unified defense against the illegal market.

Antonis Vartholomaios, President of the EEEP, emphasized the long-term nature of the challenge. “We are not dealing with isolated incidents, but with a deeply embedded and constantly evolving ecosystem of criminal activity,” he stated. “Our task is not simply enforcement, but building a resilient regulatory framework that can adapt to the digital age. This requires transparency, persistence, and inter-agency coordination — not as a one-time measure, but as a new standard of governance. We will not win this fight with legislation alone, but with unified commitment across the public sector.”

The significance of Greece’s intervention is already attracting attention from abroad. With Poland set to take over the Presidency of the Council of Europe in early 2025, it has called for the European Union to begin examining the possibility of harmonized regulations and cross-border protections against black-market gambling and its “economic encroachment.” Regulators in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands have also expressed unease at the unchecked rise of illegal online gambling, a mounting issue increasingly viewed as a shared challenge across the European Union.

By fLEXI tEAM