Greece’s Gambling Laws – What to Do and to Avoid
Greece’s gambling laws are not the easiest thing to understand. You can expect to find out everything about the intricacies of the gambling laws in Greece and also discover which types of gambling activities are permitted in the Mediterranean country. Read along to unmistakably understand the complex rules concerning gambling in the country.
What are Greek Gambling Laws?
Greece is among the top holiday destinations in Europe and even in the world. It’s visited by millions of tourists every year, and naturally, some of them enjoy gambling. We encourage you to get acquainted with Greece gambling laws before you play, though.
In general, Greece has stringent gambling laws from the standpoint of a casino operator, and as such, it resembles other European countries. Read this Greece gambling laws article to find out more about the history and legality of various forms of gambling in the country.
History of Gambling in Greece
It had probably come as no surprise that Greece has a long history of gambling, dating back millennia. One only has to remember Homer’s Iliad and the bet between the goddesses that started the whole war. Of course, literature is not the only source that describes the interesting history of Greek gambling.
Greeks likely invented heads or tails, which they first played with seashells and then coins. Another popular ancient Greek game was Par Impar Ludere, and it involved a player putting a few items in each hand. The bettors would wager on which hand contains the odd or even number of items.
In addition to that, it’s speculated that Greeks wagered on the outcome of sporting events at the Olympic Games, so you can say that they basically invented sports betting, and you wouldn’t be that far off. Some even argue that poker was invented in Greece rather than China, which is possible.
Gambling was also widespread in the Byzantine Empire, especially betting on the outcome of a chariot race. Nowadays, gambling is still enjoyed by many Greeks. The most popular form of gambling is sports betting (usually on football games), which shows that as much as things have changed, some have remained the same.
Despite reasonable Greece gambling laws, there aren’t that many land-based casinos in the country. So far, there are around a dozen or more casinos situated in or around bigger cities in mainland Greece and a few on the bigger islands like Corfu and Mikonos, so tourists get to enjoy them as well.
Greek Gambling Laws
Now let’s discuss the specific gambling laws in Greece that govern gaming activities in the country. The main Greek gambling law that oversees GR casino sites is Law 4002/2011, passed in 2011. This Greek gambling law, based on older gambling laws in Greece, established the legal framework of gambling regulation in the country, which is still used today.
The act has been amended a few times since it was passed. Namely, it was amended by these particular Greece gambling laws: Law 4557/2018, Law 4512/2018, and Law 4635/2019. The original Greek gambling law and its amendments defined the act of gambling, who can conduct it, who can partake in it, who regulates it, and how to tax it.
Let’s concentrate on taxation. The governing gambling act established the taxation of gambling profits for both individual players and gambling providers. The winning tax is progressive, meaning that the more you win, the bigger percentage of the winnings you have to pay in taxes.
There’s no taxation for winnings up to €100, but anything between €100 and €500 is taxed at 15%, and any winnings above €500 are taxed at 20%. The tax will be automatically deducted from your winnings by the operator. Operators, on the other hand, pay a flat tax rate of 35%, which is quite steep, but nowhere near New York’s 51%.
Now, who can partake in gambling in Greece? This is where Greek gambling laws differ significantly from those of other European countries. The legal gambling age in Greece is 23, which is five years more than the regular 18 in most European countries. Younger tourists should keep that in mind.
The new amendments to the act also allowed more market competition in Greece. Older Greek gambling laws such as Law 2206/1996 and Law 3139/2003, basically allowed for the existence of a state monopoly on gambling, called OPAP or Greek Organisation of Football Prognostics S.A.. Under new provisions, OPAP was de-regulated and then fully privatised by 2013.
Still, OPAP held a monopoly over the whole gambling market up until 2020, when the state finally allowed operators to apply for gambling licenses. There are now many new operators in the Greek market. Still, OPAP holds a license to exclusively operate betting and the lottery until 2030.
Greek Online Gambling Laws
While other countries were looking for ways to enrich their coffers at the beginning of the new millennium by legalising online gambling, Greece actually banned online gambling in 2002. This was done to curb organised crime, but you can imagine it backfired.
After the financial crisis of 2008, which hit Greece particularly bad, the country became open to online gambling legalisation. In 2011, Greece allowed online gambling providers to begin operations. However, only a year later, Greece asked them to cease operations in favour of the OPAP monopoly, in which the government had a stake of 33%.
This decision was not very smart, though and the state coffers suffered as a result, with little taxes coming in from gambling. This made Greece once again reconsider its strict online gambling laws. In 2020, Greece opened up to foreign online operators yet again and allowed them to apply for licenses.
Nowadays, you can partake in a wide range of legal online gambling games such as lottery, slots, card games, roulette, and more at the top Greece online casinos.
Gambling Regulators in Greece
The one and only gambling regulator in Greece is the Hellenic Gaming Commission. The commission oversees all forms of gambling in the country, including sports betting, land-based casino gambling, and online gambling. The commission’s most important job is to ensure that everyone abides by Greece gambling laws.
It also ensures the integrity of the offered gambling products and inspects gambling machines. In addition, the Hellenic Gaming Commission also issues gambling licences to operators, and it taxes operators and consumers for gambling profits.
Common Questions
We hope you found the information useful and that you’re now fully aware of each and every Greek gambling law. Below, you can find the most common questions asked in regard to this topic. If there’s anything else you want to ask, don’t hesitate to contact us.
1️⃣ Are the Greek gambling laws strict?
No, quite the contrary; Greek gambling laws are in fact very reasonable. Gambling has always been popular in Greece and it was rarely restricted. Nowadays, Greeks and tourists can enjoy a wide range of gambling games whereas all forms of gambling are legal.
2️⃣ What's the legal gambling age in Greece?
According to the current gambling laws in Greece the minimum age is 23 years old. This is quite an uncommon gambling age in Europe, where almost every country has the legal gambling age set at 18. Tourists should keep that in mind before they plan a gambling holiday in the country.
3️⃣ Have there been Greek land-based casinos?
Yes, this form of gambling is legal, and the gambling history of Greece teaches that there have been and there are land-based casinos attracting many locals and tourists every year. Surprisingly though, there aren't that many casinos considering the population and size of Greece. The new, more free market-oriented laws towards operators might change that though.
4️⃣ Is online gambling legal in Greece?
Yes, online gambling is legal in Greece. The government initially banned every form of online gambling in 2002, but then legalised online gambling in 2011 and further liberalised it in the following decade, so there are more operators to choose from now.
5️⃣ Who regulates gambling in Greece?
There is currently one gambling regulator in Greece and that's the Hellenic Gaming Commission. The agency is tasked with enforcing Greek gambling laws, licensing operators and generally regulating the gambling market, including the gambling facilities, online casinos, and taxation of profits.