Sports Betting And Gambling In Greece: Legalities And Useful Things To Know 2023
Learn about what is legal and what isn’t as well as what you should look out for before placing a bet on that irresistible Greek no deposit casino bonus.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuJan 11, 20236.5K Shares470.2K Views
Sports bettingand gambling is totally legal in Greece. However, the country has a long, notorious historyof state monopoly when it comes to gambling regulation. The Hellenic Gaming Commissionis the country’s gaming regulator, and it has managed, over the years, to blunt the edges of some former rigid measures, making them easier to navigate.
Fast-forward to 2021, the country came full circle and re-regulated the gambling market. This was one of the milestones in the history of Greek gambling, which you can read further about in the final section below. For the benefit of operators and bettors alike, we have also boiled down the most relevant legalities to simple language. To all the punters out there, before feasting your eyes on that list of Greek no deposit casinobonuses, you might want to read through the ins and outs of what’s permitted in this jurisdiction.
<H2> What is Legal in Greece and What Isn’t? </H2>
The main legislative act that governs gaming in Greece is the Law 4002/2011. The following are some legalities, made simple:
- Greece betting sites and bookmakers are legal
- Likewise, both land-based casinos and online casinos are considered legal
- The gambling legal age in Greece is 23
- To offer gambling services, a license by the Hellenic Gaming Commission is required
- The Commission issues two types of licenses for online gambling: Type A (for online betting) and Type B (for online casino games)
- Each license is valid for 7 years
- Licensed operators are required to have all their headquarters in Greece
- Greek online operators should have their servers based in Greece and must use a .gr domain
- Online licensees must also store 10 years’ worth of data
- The maximum bet on games is limited to €2
- Gambling operators that fail comply with Greek law will have their Internet access suspended by Greek Internet providers, and their bank transactions terminated accordingly
- Operators on the Greek authorities’ blacklist cannot apply for a license for a period of up to 12 months.
What Should I Look Out For When Gambling in Greece?
To navigate the gambling world safely, you must be equipped with the right information. Here are some pointers to help any newbie tread safely in this exciting and delicate territory.
Play only with Licensed Casinos
No matter how eager you are on placing that bet, verify beforehand whether the specific casino is licensed by a reputable agency. Examples of reputable bodies include: United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and Curacao eGaming. To learn about a casino’s license, head to the bottom of the site where all the necessary information should be provided. Don’t risk playing on unlicensed sites.
Make Sure the Casino is Secure
SSL encryption is what makes a casino page secure. To verify whether a casino page is encrypted thus, simply look at the left side of your browser’s address bar; if you see a green lock icon, that page is SSL-encrypted, which essentially means that the information you send to the server (including any financial data) is adequately protected.
Reading User Reviews and Comments is Always a Good Idea
Different forums and relevant sites display user reviews and comments which you can peruse to learn more about a particular bookmaker. It might also be helpful to observe a casino’s level of engagement with the public, namely by checking out whether its customer representatives respond to users’ comments and address any issued raised.
Use Payment Gateways to Effect Payments
It is always recommended to use intermediaries such as PayPal when making transfers. With bank transfers you can incur unnecessary charges and delays, whereas with intermediaries the process is much cheaper and quicker.
Gambling In Greece: Further Information
Greek casinos offer all popular casino games, including Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker, and other games approved by the Hellenic Gaming Commission.
Most Greece gambling sites are compatible with mobile devices, so you can enjoy games using any platform you prefer.
The dress code at a land-based casino is smart-casual, but keep in mind that you won’t be allowed in if you are less than 23 years old!
Gambling Legislation: A Trip Down Memory Lane
These are some important milestones that shaped the history of gambling legislation in Greece:
- 2002: to combat organized crime, the Greek government banned all forms of online gambling
- 2011: following the economic crises, the government issued temporary licenses to 24 online gambling enterprises, repealing the 2002 ban
- 2019: a new bill saw Greece ending the ‘transition status’ granted to these 24 casinos, allowing them to apply for full licenses until March 2020
- September 2020: the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) invited prospective online gambling operators to apply for a license in accordance with their new regulations
- October 2020: to obtain an online gambling license, the HGC obliged applicants to submit a “letter of guarantee”
- January 2021: to ease the process of identifying supplier and affiliate suitability, applicants were allowed to proceed with an initial application, as long as they followed it up with the necessary physical documentation in due course.
June 2021: the HGC announced it had issued 15 online gambling licenses on 5 July 2021, marking a full re-regulation after nearly 20 years.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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