Greece has launched one of the most significant regulatory reviews of its gaming industry in recent years after opening a public consultation aimed at updating the country's gambling framework, strengthening enforcement powers and combating the illegal market.
The process is being led by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) under the leadership of Chairman Antonis M. Vartholomeos and Director General Dr. Antonios Alexiou, in cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, headed by Kyriakos Pierrakakis.
The consultation focuses on amendments to the existing framework built around Law 4002/2011, which regulates online betting, online casino, poker, lotteries and VLT operations in Greece. The review comes as authorities seek to address an illegal gambling market estimated at between €1.6 billion and €1.7 billion annually, despite the HGC having already blocked approximately 11,000 unauthorized gambling websites by the end of 2025.
Antonios Alexiou
Greek authorities believe that traditional DNS and website blocking measures are no longer sufficient to combat increasingly sophisticated offshore operators that rapidly reappear through mirror domains and alternative digital channels. As a result, the proposed reforms aim to provide regulators with stronger enforcement tools and more advanced monitoring capabilities.
Kyriakos Pierrakakis
Among the key objectives are expanding anti-illegal gambling powers, strengthening AML/KYC controls, improving cooperation with internet service providers and digital platforms, increasing oversight of affiliates, influencers and advertising networks, and enhancing responsible gambling protections. Authorities are also considering the implementation of dynamic monitoring systems designed to identify suspicious activity more efficiently and improve channelization toward licensed operators.
The current framework remains based on Law 4002/2011, Law 2206/1994 governing casinos, Law 4512/2018, and the online gaming, advertising and VLT regulations introduced between 2020 and 2022. Under this structure, all operators offering betting, casino, poker, bingo or lottery products in Greece must hold an HGC license.
Participation in the consultation is open to licensed operators, industry associations, legal experts, technology providers and other stakeholders through the Greek government's official public consultation platform. Following the review of submitted comments, the government is expected to prepare a final legislative proposal during 2026. For sector, the initiative represents an opportunity to strengthen the regulated market, improve consumer protection and reinforce the competitiveness of licensed operators across one of Southern Europe's most developed online gaming jurisdictions.
