site.btaGreek Government Pushes for Harsher Penalties on Illegal Gambling

Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis has presented a bill that will introduce tougher penalties, including prison sentences and business closures, as part of an effort to crack down on illegal gambling, ekathimerini reported. The Finance Ministry is seeking to block a market that official data show exceeds EUR 1.6 billion annually, the online daily said.

According to the draft legislation, those who run games without a licence could face prison sentences and fines. If the games involve gambling, offenders will face lengthy prison sentences and even higher fines.

Data of the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) show that almost 800,000 people gambled on unlicensed websites, illegal dens and casinos in 2024. The EEEP has put together a blacklist of nearly 11,000 illegal online platforms.