Athens, Greece, November 4, 2026. The Greek government has ruled out reversing the tax increase on online casino and poker winnings, in effect since July 1, 2026, despite warnings that players could migrate to illegal platforms. The reform aims to generate an additional €100 million annual tax revenue.
Law 5313/2026, published on June 25, amended Article 120 of Law 5219/2025 through its Article 69. Winnings of up to €100 per gaming session remain tax-exempt; for winnings between €100.01 and €500, the rate increased from 15% to 20%; and for winnings exceeding €500, it rose from 20% to 30%. The tax is calculated on taxable winnings after deducting the first €100, not on deposits.
Thanos Petralias
Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Deputy Minister Thanos Petralias announced the measure on March 23, estimating an additional €50 million in 2026 and €100 million in 2027. Online operators remain separately subject to a 35% tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR).
The Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP), chaired by Antonios Vartholomaios since August 2025, reported that taxes withheld on winnings reached €369.4 million (+27.3%) between January and August, compared with €290.2 million in 2025.
Antonios Vartholomaios
Industry GGR increased 4.2% to €2.06 billion, while the state's share of operator revenue rose 7.9% to €484.5 million. Between July and August, following the reform, online tax withholdings reached €91.3 million (+73.1%), compared with €52.8 million, although digital GGR declined 1.4% to €206.5 million.
The regulatory crackdown also targets an illegal gambling market estimated at €1.8 billion, involving 900,000 participants and approximately 15,000 blocked websites. Pierrakakis reported investigations involving 18 influencers over alleged promotion of illegal gambling. The EEEP is preparing to recruit 40 specialized officials, while the regulatory framework provides for administrative fines of up to €2 million, penalties ranging from €5,000 to €50,000 for certain illegal promotional activities, and prison sentences for serious offenses.
