Greece strengthens online gambling controls with new monitoring partner

The Hellenic Gambling Supervision and Control Commission, Greece's gambling regulatory authority, has launched a tender for a partner. This partner is to provide legal and technical advice to improve the monitoring of the regulated online gambling market in the country. The goal is to strengthen identity checks, anti-money laundering measures, and cybersecurity. Such an initiative is not only observed in Greece but reflects a broader trend in European gambling regulation towards greater player protection and market integrity.

The selected partner is expected to work until the end of 2026 or for up to 190 hours of consulting. The contract value is 28,500 Euros. During the contract period, the partner must submit three progress reports with proposals for optimizing the Greek player verification system.

Numbers and facts

The Hellenic Gambling Supervision and Control Commission, or EEEP, is explicitly looking for a "legal and technical partner" to redesign the player monitoring framework. This project focuses on "Electronic Player Accounts" (EPAs), which are used to verify and track players in the regulated market. The regulatory authority wants to use the updated system to improve Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and make player identification more secure. In addition, the new structure should help operators better detect fraud, financial crime, and underage gambling. This is an important step, as the illegal market in Greece, according to EEEP President Antonis Bartholomew, generated an estimated 2 billion Euros in revenue in 2025, depriving the state of about 400 million Euros in revenue annually. Around 900,000 people participated in illegal gambling during the same period.

“The growing role of influencers and streamers in advertising unauthorised gambling services had become one of the authority’s biggest challenges.” - Antonis Bartholomew, President of EEEP

Background

The tender is part of a broader effort to tighten market supervision and reduce the influence of illegal gambling operators. Just last month, a draft law was passed in Greece to fundamentally revise gambling regulations and increase the EEEP's staff from 80 to 110 employees. These new hires are planned for enforcement, IT, cybersecurity, and market surveillance. The law would also give the EEEP the authority to immediately block illegal gambling sites. The planned blacklist will include websites, domains, IP addresses, and mobile applications. The draft rules also extend responsibility to promoters, intermediaries, and service providers who facilitate user access to gambling. This includes influencers, affiliate marketers, website owners, internet cafes, and ISPs who fail to block access. Banks would be required to stop transactions linked to unlicensed operators. Recently, the EEEP has already filed criminal charges against 18 influencers and streamers accused of promoting unlicensed betting platforms. Five of these influencers collectively reached an audience of more than 3 million followers.

Why it matters for German players

For German players, the development in Greece is another example of how European states are more strictly regulating their gambling markets. With the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021), Germany has already taken similar steps. We have the Joint Gaming Authority of the Federal States (GGL) here, which maintains a whitelist of licensed providers and aims to offer players a safe environment. Germany also has strict requirements for Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering. Players in GGL-licensed casinos are subject to a stake limit of 1 Euro per spin on slot machines and a monthly deposit limit of 1,000 Euros. In addition, there is the nationwide self-exclusion system OASIS and LUGAS for overarching player account and deposit limit control. These measures all serve to protect players and combat the illegal market. The fact that other countries, like Greece, are strengthening their control mechanisms shows that player protection and the prevention of financial crime are European priorities. This is good news for everyone who wants to play responsibly. German players should always stick to providers on the official GGL whitelist. Only in this way can they be protected from fraudulent providers and rely on compliance with strict German rules.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

For online casinos with a German GGL license, this means that the trend towards stricter regulations in Europe continues. The GGL itself has already placed comprehensive demands on its licensed providers regarding KYC, anti-money laundering, and cybersecurity. The Greek example, with the revision of "Electronic Player Accounts" and the intensified fight against illegal advertising, could serve as a blueprint or as an argument for further tightening by the GGL. It shows that regulatory authorities are continuously striving to ensure the integrity of their markets. For GGL-licensed casinos, this means they must constantly keep their compliance systems up to date and proactively ensure that all advertising measures, including those through influencers, comply with strict German guidelines. Providers who already meet these requirements are well-positioned for the future. In the long term, such measures can lead to fairer and safer competition, where responsible operators have an advantage.