Greece targets illegal gambling with 10 year jail terms

[The Buzz]

Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance is drawing up what could become some of Europe’s toughest anti-gambling measures, aimed at an illegal market valued at about €1.6bn a year that deprives the state of more than €500m in tax revenue.

Finance minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said a new bill, due to be brought before parliament in the first half of 2026, will adopt a zero-tolerance stance toward unlicensed gambling operators.

From Greek City Times:

Under the proposed penalties, anyone who runs games without the required licence — regardless of method or platform — will face a prison sentence of at least three years, along with a financial penalty. If the games involve gambling, offenders will face imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines ranging from €50,000 to €100,000.

The draft also targets participants. Anyone who takes part in an unlicensed gambling game will face up to two years in prison and a fine. Repeat offenders will receive at least two years in prison and a fine of €5,000 to €20,000.

Authorities will also penalise anyone who obstructs inspections. The bill proposes a prison sentence of at least three years and a financial penalty for anyone who delays, avoids, prevents, or disrupts inspections by authorised control bodies.

Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis said the government wants to build a “holistic framework” that tackles illegal gambling “at its root,” whether it involves unlicensed websites or physical venues running illegal games.

He said the new framework will reflect the realities created by modern technology and incorporate specific measures proposed by stakeholders in the gambling market.

Read more here: https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/02/0...ar-jail-terms/

[Slot777]

Things are getting serious in Eastern Europe in general.

[Slot777]

Also in Spain they are starting to block sites, also for illegal football streaming

[NoDepositCasinos]

Things are getting serious in Eastern Europe in general.

It seems so. What really gets on my nerves is that in some countries, more serious crimes are punished with a slap on the wrist, yet, according to this, someone who gambles with their own money can be fined and get jail time.

[casinotoprating]

Currently, the trend in combating grey gambling is moving toward stricter enforcement. Regulators are introducing tougher penalties and developing stronger measures against payment aggregators and related infrastructure. Therefore, affiliates who operate primarily in grey markets should also start building legitimate revenue streams in parallel to prepare the ground for the future.

[Slot777]

100% agree

[gram]

That’s a very aggressive approach, especially targeting both operators and players.
It will be interesting to see if strict enforcement actually reduces offshore activity, or just pushes it further underground. Historically, demand tends to find a way regardless of regulation.

[GlobalPokerSites]

Also targets participants is very aggressive.

[Pokerface]

Can't disagree with this. Punishment needs to be such that it deters/stops the activity. Sometimes, fines are not enough.