Greece prepares law against illegal gambling

In Greece, Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis is preparing a bill aimed at combating illegal gambling across both the online and land-based segments, report SBC News.

Initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Finance

Drafting the bill

Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis announced the development of a new bill designed to strengthen measures against illegal gambling in Greece.

The document covers both the online segment and land-based venues, including internet cafés, private clubs, and unlicensed gaming halls.

Criminal liability for operators

Prison terms and fines

The bill provides for prison sentences of up to 10 years for organisers of illegal gambling activities.

Additional fines ranging from €50,000 to €100,000 will also be introduced for operating illegal gambling services.

Aggravating circumstances

Harsher measures will apply in cases of repeat offences, involvement of minors, large-scale operations, as well as the reopening of venues after they have been sealed.

Player liability

Fines for repeat participation

The bill introduces financial penalties for players for repeated instances of participation in gambling with illegal operators.

Liability will apply to users who knowingly take part in unlicensed forms of gambling.

Strengthened control and oversight

Regulatory powers

The measures are being developed in cooperation with the Hellenic Gaming Supervision and Control Board (EEEP), which will receive expanded powers to investigate and suppress illegal activity.

The regulator already maintains a blacklist of more than 11,000 illegal websites, using DNS filtering and cooperation with law enforcement agencies.

Land-based and online segments

Measures against illegal venues

Authorities will be able to promptly shut down premises found to be engaged in illegal gambling activity, while municipalities will gain the right to revoke licences linked to illegal gambling.

The measures are intended to prevent venues from reopening under new legal entities.

Publication timeline

Plans for 2026

The minister plans to publish the relevant decree in the first half of 2026.