Greece tables direct enforcement bill against black market gambling 

Greece will enact sweeping reforms to its criminal and gambling laws to enable the government and authorities to prosecute illegal gambling operators and their respective criminal networks.

The mandate, pledged by Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis, introduces a draft framework of “interventions required to strengthen the Greek state and economy against the threats of black market gambling”.

Presenting the bill, Pierrakakis stated: “Illegal gambling deprives the Greek state of significant public revenue, undermines licensed businesses and exposes citizens – especially young people – to environments without protection or transparency. This intervention strengthens the institutional shield of the country.”

As previously cited by the FM, government data indicates that nearly 800,000 citizens engaged in illegal gambling in 2024, generating an estimated €1.67bn in turnover and depriving the state of approximately €400m in annual revenues.

Pierrakakis’ mandate carries significance across the European Union, as Greece will become the first member state to embed a specific horizontal framework against illegal gambling.

As such, Parliament will review specific changes applied to Greece’s criminal, business and digital enforcement laws dedicated to the “suppression of unlicensed gambling activities that are viewed as a social harm and economic threat to the state and its authorities”.

“This is not only a fiscal issue,” Pierrakakis emphasised. “It is primarily a matter of protecting citizens from unregulated environments where winnings may not be paid and no responsible gaming safeguards exist.”

Greek EEEP gets new tool-kit

The draft bill will reorganise the state’s prevention, detection and prosecution mechanisms under a consolidated enforcement architecture. 

Under the proposed reform, the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) will increase its staffing capacity from 80 to 110 organic positions, including 40 ‘specialised scientific detection roles’ focused on data analytics, digital supervision and gambling market intelligence.

“We are equipping the regulator with the expertise and human resources necessary to respond to a technologically complex and rapidly evolving market,” Pierrakakis explained, adding that enforcement must become “data-driven and proactive, not reactive.”

In parallel, members of the Gaming Inspectors’ Body will acquire special investigative officer status, enabling them to initiate criminal pre-investigations, collect evidence and submit case files directly to prosecutorial authorities without additional procedural barriers.

According to the Minister, this reform will ensure that “where criminal indications exist, the state will move immediately and decisively.”

Perhaps the most consequential element of the bill is the introduction of direct digital intervention powers. 

The EEEP will be authorised to order the removal or disabling of access to illegal gambling content via a rapid administrative procedure, targeting websites, hosting providers, social media platforms and search engines. 

Crucially, these actions may be undertaken without prior police authorisation.

“Illegal gambling today operates primarily through digital channels,” Pierrakakis noted. “The state must therefore have the capacity to intervene digitally and without delay. We are not waiting for procedural bottlenecks when consumer protection is at stake.”

The regulator will also be empowered to request identification data relating to accounts and domains that are connected to illegal gambling activity, while an upgraded and automated blacklist mechanism will expand recorded information to include not only websites, but also the natural and legal persons involved in their operation and promotion.

The bill introduces a standalone administrative offence for the advertising and promotion of illegal gambling. Media entities, influencers, streamers, affiliates and digital advertising networks found to be promoting unlicensed gambling services face fines ranging from €5,000 to €50,000 per violation.

Pierrakakis stressed that “every form of commercial communication in the gambling sector must concern exclusively legally licensed providers. There can be no tolerance for the promotion of illegal activity through digital networks or influencers”.

Criminal sanctions under Article 52 of Law 4002/2011 are also rationalised. The reform establishes a two-tier system to ensure enforceability after courts frequently reduced penalties under the existing regime. 

Running an illegal gambling operation will carry a minimum sentence of three years’ imprisonment and fines between €10,000 and €500,000. 

Gambling-related offences may attract a minimum of 10 years in prison and fines ranging between €50,000 to €700,000, with aggravated circumstances – including professional criminal conduct or involvement of minors – subject to fines up to €800,000.

“We are introducing a proportionate but strict framework,” the Minister said. “Penalties must be applicable in practice, but they must also be severe when vulnerable citizens or minors are exposed.”

Gambling tax must be protected

Notably, the draft text does not introduce fines or criminal sanctions for consumers who participate in illegal gambling. 

Although Pierrakakis had previously indicated that while consumer penalties were under consideration, the bill presented to cabinet focuses squarely on operators, promoters and facilitators.

Government sources indicated that “the current priority is dismantling the supply side of illegal gambling networks”, raising the question as to whether consumer liability could be revisited during parliamentary debate. 

In previous declarations, Minister Pierrakakis told parliament that he believed that some form of consumer penalty may be required. It remains unknown whether the Minister will pursue such penalties.

Beyond the crackdown on illegal gambling, the Greek government has confirmed that 2026 will see a broader reform enacted  on land-based casino licensing and permits. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis  sanctioned the review to strengthen compliance standards of casino operators and maximise the economic contribution of licensed venues 

“Our goal is a well-regulated, transparent gambling market that contributes substantially to growth and public revenue,” Pierrakakis concluded. “Suppressing the black market and strengthening the licensed sector are two sides of the same strategy.”

Taken together, the reform signals a decisive shift in Greek gambling policy.

Pierrakakis believes that Greece will possess the first legislative framework designed to combat the black market by “elevating illegal gambling from a compliance concern to a matter of economic security and digital governance”.

The Minister hopes that this will position Greece at the forefront of supply-side enforcement within the EU, setting the standard for others to follow.