While the majority of punishments for black market activity tend to focus on operators, Greece has moved to make players criminally liable as part of a crackdown on the illegal sector.
The somewhat controversial shift has been announced by the Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who laid bare to lawmakers the extent of the country’s black market problem, which is an economy currently valued at €1.6bn.
Although full details have not been made public regarding the extent of punishments, “repeat participation” will trigger enforcement action against players, as lawmakers argue the drastic move is needed to attempt to thwart the black market.
“The numbers are shocking,” Minister Pierrakakis told lawmakers, as he estimated that the embattled Greek economy loses out on at least €500m annually.
“This is not simply a leak of public resources; we are combating a deep social pathology that requires a modern and uncompromising response.”
Stark data from 2024 underlined the extent of the black market, as approximately 390,000 people played online via mobile or computer, while 215,000 participated in physical venues such as clubs and internet cafés, and 194,000 used both channels.
An area of particular concern is the 18-34 demographic, which accounts for more than a quarter of all unlicensed gambling participants.
Alongside players, the government is seeking to develop a zero-tolerance approach to black market operators through a new public decree expected to be published by Pierrakakis in the first half of 2026.
Those found to be organising illicit gambling operations will face much harsher criminal penalties, such as prison terms of up to ten years and financial penalties ranging from €50,000 to €100,000.
Aggravating circumstances that will increase enforcement action include repeat offences, the involvement of minors or the reopening of premises after being sealed.
Municipalities will be given greater power to revoke operating licenses connected to illegal play, and the Hellenic Gaming Supervision and Control Board (EEEP), Greece’s gaming regulator, will be given expanded investigative authority and stronger enforcement mechanisms.
The upcoming legislative efforts sit alongside action already taken by EEEP to curtail the black market, after the regulator launched a task force in July to “combat the scourge” of illegal gambling networks.
Meanwhile, the Greek Government has also called on AI to join the fight against the sector, using the technology to power a real-time digital surveillance system which can cross-check user data, platform activity and financial flows, with cooperation from the Bank of Greece, as well as DNS filtering mechanisms to block access to unlicensed gambling platforms.
