Greece's Ministry of National Economy and Finance to legislate tougher enforcement and penalties against illegal gambling from autumn

Greece's Ministry of National Economy and Finance announced a forthcoming legislative intervention to strengthen the fight against illegal gambling, covering both unlicensed websites and illegal land-based gambling premises, with an emphasis on protecting players and particularly minors. The announcement was made by Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis during a Parliamentary Committee on Institutions and Transparency session on the proposed appointment of Antonis Vartholomaios as president of the Gaming Supervision and Control Commission (EEEP). The package is intended to tighten sanctions and enforcement, including immediate and longer-term sealing of premises and revocation of operating licences by municipalities where illegal gambling is conducted, stricter rules for licensing internet cafés, tougher penalties for offenders, and prison sentences for obstructing inspections. Citing EEEP research for 2024, the minister said nearly 800,000 citizens appear to have gambled via unlicensed sites, illegal clubs and illegal casinos, involving an estimated EUR 1.67 billion in amounts and around EUR 0.5 billion in lost state revenue; EEEP’s current blacklist reportedly covers nearly 11,000 websites. The measures are expected to apply from autumn. Separately, the minister asked the parliamentary committee to issue the required opinion on the proposed appointment of the new EEEP chair ahead of a ministerial decision.