The Top Online Gambling Sites in Greece for 2024

The Best Greek Online Gambling Sites in 2024

If you’re on the hunt for the top legal Greek gambling sites, you’ve come to the right place. On this Greece gambling guide, you’ll find only the most renowned gambling sites with the top gaming products and generous promotions. See below for the top Greek online casinos, sportsbooks, and more.

Todd Winkler, Editor at online-gambling.com

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Todd Winkler has been an editor at online-gambling.com for 6 years. His focus is on guides and articles about poker games, blackjack, and DFS. With relatives in New Zealand, he is also well aware of the gambling industry in the country.

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Available Gambling Types in Greece

While Greek gamblers have had access to some form of legal gambling since the 1950s, these activities were highly limited. Thankfully, the past 10 years have seen major reforms to gambling laws, and Greece now allows locals to enjoy a relatively free online gambling market. This includes legal sports betting, poker, lottery, casino, and daily fantasy sports options.

Online Casino Options

Since 2011, Greek players have been able to enjoy a plethora of high-quality and reputable online casinos from the top international operators in the world. The best of these sites have been licensed by Greek regulators or other EU member states to ensure that gameplay is always fair and winnings are always paid out on time. The most popular online casino games are table games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and poker. See below for the top Greek online casino offer.

Sports Betting Sites

Greek gamblers have been able to legally wager at online sportsbooks since 1996, though the market has changed in a big way since then. Initially, the state-run OPAP organization was the only company allowed to take sports wagers, but in the last decade, the market has been opened up to dozens of international sportsbook operators. Now, Greek bettors have plenty of online sportsbooks to choose from, with numerous betting options and markets on offer. Whether it’s betting on the Olympics, football or US leagues such as the NFL or NBA, Greece is home to an extremely passionate demographic of sports bettors. You can find our top recommended online Greek sportsbook below.

Daily Fantasy Sports in Greece

Although there are no Greek laws that have officially legalized Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) in Greece, playing these gambling games is tolerated by local gaming authorities. If you’re a newcomer, DFS competitions require players to draft fantasy lineups of players from one particular league and earn points based on their real-life performance that day or week. Contestants pay an entrance fee for competitions, and winners receive a percentage of the total entrance pool. This is the perfect game for sports lovers.

Greek Online Poker

For some time, online poker was outlawed in Greece. Even those wanting to play at land-based casinos would not have an easy time, with only two of the country’s eight land-based casinos offering poker. Thankfully, the legalization of online poker in 2011 has introduced the game to a much wider pool of players, and online play is the most accessible way to enjoy poker. Whether you’re playing video poker games or online against real-life players, you can enjoy a wide variety of single-game events or tournaments. Among the most popular games, which you’ll find at our recommended site below, include Stud Poker and the legendary Texas Hold’em.

Online Greek Lottery

The lottery has long been an embraced part of Greek culture, with the Ancient Greek democratic process even resembling what is now the modern lottery. Today, Greece is home to an extremely popular and diverse lottery system which has been running since the 1950s. The country is even home to renowned company Intralot, which supplies lottery technology to countries all over the world.

Our Guide to Online Gambling in Greece

At this stage, you may be excited to jump right into signing up for one of our recommended gambling sites, and we wouldn’t blame you. That being said, there’s still some important information that is worth considering before you decide which site is best for you. In this upcoming section, we’ve explored a number of must-consider factors ranging from the licensing and safety of a site, the games options, the fairness, and the bonuses. You can jump to each section by clicking on one of the links below, or simply keep scrolling to learn it all.

The Importance of Licencing, Security & Safety

One of the essential factors to consider before signing up for any online gambling site is how safe and secure it is. The best way to verify the legitimacy of a gambling site is by checking whether it holds a gambling license that is recognized by the local gaming authority. In Greece, online gaming is regulated by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC). The HGC not only licenses websites but ensures that operators meet strict standards to guarantee game fairness and player safety. Licensing also ensures that sites have undergone thorough independent testing to attest to the security and safety of a site. Below, you can find details for some reputable gaming organizations that are dedicated to protecting Greek players.

Games and Betting Options

While it’s important to guarantee that your chosen gambling site is legal and safe, it’s also essential to ensure that the website is offering a selection of games and betting options that you’ll enjoy. After all, there’s no use signing up with a website if you’re not going to have fun playing. When you’re looking through the website’s game and betting options, you want to ensure that there is a diverse selection of high-quality and fair offerings that cater to your budget.

This process of checking the games catalogue and bets is easy and won’t take long at all, and you will not need to sign up or make a deposit to do this. The best thing about gambling with highly reputable and established operators is that there is plenty of information out there to guarantee that these sites are offering top-quality gambling experiences. Don’t be lured by the bonus offer alone, because the bonus is worth nothing if you don’t want to play any of the games.

Most Popular Real Money Online Gambling Options

The online casino games that generate a lot of player interest in Greece are table games such as roulette and blackjack. That considered, online sports betting remains to be the most popular online gambling industry in the country by far. This has only increased since 2012 when more international operators could enter the market. The lottery has also always been hugely profitable in Greece and funds go toward building important infrastructure. Below, we have listed the most popular Greek online gambling activities.

Top Gambling Offers in Greece

For many players, the welcome bonus on offer may be the deciding factor of which site to choose from. This makes sense, as a generous welcome bonus can be a great way to explore a new site without making a huge investment. At online sports betting sites, common offers include odds boosts, free bets, or additional funds. Online casinos may offer additional funds once you make your first deposits or free spins on popular games. Ideally, your chosen gambling site will continue to offer promotions to you based on your loyalty, which many of our recommended Greek gambling sites do.

Make sure that you are above the minimum legal gambling age in Greece, which is 21. The online Greek operators take social responsibility very strictly and they offer numerous initiatives to provide you with the needed information, for example, for possible problems such as gambling addiction, loss of property, illegal or underage gambling. It comes down to the services of organisations, such as the Pardee Consulta, which is an alternative dispute resolution entity, as well as GambleAware. That being said, you can be sure that the offered bonuses and games comply with the strict criteria for social responsibility applied by the competent Greek regulators.

Average Payout Rates at the Best Greek Gambling Sites

To verify the fairness of a gambling site, you will want to check its average payout rate. The average payout rate is the average of all of the sites’ offerings return-to-player rates. The most trustworthy gambling websites will have their average payout rates calculated by independent laboratories such as eCOGRA and publish the certificate at the bottom of its homepage. Before you play any game, check its RTP to guarantee your chances to win are the highest. You can find the payout rates and best payout games at the top Greek gambling sites below.

Available Payment Methods

There are several reasons to check the payment methods that an online gambling site accepts before signing up. The most obvious reason is that you want to be sure that the site accepts a payment method that you favour. Additionally, if a gambling site accepts a decent amount of payment methods with strong reputations, this indicates that the site is trusted by global financial institutions. It also means that you have options to choose faster payment methods with lower fees. There are plenty of fast and secure payment methods accepted by Greek gambling sites, most of which we’ve listed below.

1. e-Wallets:
   1. PayPal
   2. Neteller
   3. ecoPayz
   4. Skrill
   5. VivaWallet
   6. TWIGA
2. Credit/Debit Cards:
   1. Mastercard
   2. VISA
   3. Maestro
   4. VISA Electron
3. Bank Transfers:
   1. Instant Banking
   2. Bank Transfer
   3. Wire Transfer
   4. IRIS
4. Other:
   1. Bitcoin
   2. Paysafecard
   3. ApplePay
   4. Google Pay
   5. Trustly

Mobile Gambling Apps

The most recent online gambling statistics indicate that the future of the gambling industry lies with mobile gaming. In the past few years, there have been major exciting developments in mobile gambling, which has resulted in an array of fast, high-quality, mobile gaming options that rival or exceed the desktop gaming experience. When we judge a gambling site, we like to see that it offers a mobile app or a customized mobile browser site that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. We also like to see that the mobile version offers most of the desktop gaming and betting features. You can find the best gambling apps for each gambling category in the table below.

Secure and Respected Gambling Software

The software behind games or betting features is the backbone of a good gambling site. The quality of the featured software can have a huge impact on the overall enjoyability of a website, and plays a large role in the fairness and stability of games. There are several top international software developers that are renowned in the gambling industry for creating the best games, so it’s always worth checking whether a gambling site features these providers. Below, we’ve listed just some of the top gambling software providers that can be found features on our recommended Greek gambling sites.

Greece Gambling Laws

Throughout its long history, Greece’s gambling laws have changed to reflect the times. In this upcoming section, we’ve primarily focused on the legal situation of the last century, as they have the most relevance to the current market. The largest changes to the market were introduced in the late 1950s, when Greece’s state-run sports betting and lottery operator was established. In the 90s, land-based gambling was legalized, while the state-run lottery operator was given the green light to offer online sports betting. In 2011, the Gaming Act was passed to legalize other online gambling activities such as online casinos, with a host of international commercial operators now free to accept Greek players.

The Legality of Online Gambling in Greece

For the past decade, Greece has offered an extremely open online gambling market, and there really isn’t much else that gamblers could ask for. It is legal to gamble with licensed sports betting operators, at online casinos, buy lottery tickets online, and play poker. Daily fantasy sports betting is also tolerated by authorities.

The Greek Land-Based Gambling Industry

In 1994, Greece passed Law 2204. This legalized the establishment, operation, and government control of land-based casino gambling. The law authorized nine gaming licenses to be distributed for land-based casinos, legalized slot machines and table games and stipulated a minimum payout of 85 per cent. There are currently eight land-based casinos throughout the Greek mainland and islands. Land-based gambling continues to be a major tourist draw, with €70 million raised in taxes from the casinos in 2019. Some of Greece’s casinos are standalone gaming establishments, though several are notable for being Vegas-style casino resorts complete with entertainment, dining, and VIP amenities.

Greek Gaming Regulator

The Hellenic Gaming Commission was first established in 2004 after the passing of Ministerial Decision 6736/2003, which authorized the creation of a regulator for the administrative control and supervision of casinos. In 2011, the commission was given additional responsibility after online gambling was legalized, and in 2012 it was given renewed authority to operate as an independent organization. There are nine members now running the Hellenic Gaming Commission, all of whom have been appointed by the Minister of Finance. It is the responsibility of the HGC to regulate both land-based and online gambling, as well as enforce punishments to those who have broken gaming laws.

Is Online Gambling Taxed in Greece?

The burden of taxation is placed on both players and operators in Greece. For operators licensed by the HGC, a steep 30 per cent rate on gross gaming revenues must be paid in taxes. Some have argued that this high tax rate has deterred many operators from applying for local licenses and has encouraged gamblers to bet with offshore operators, which is not illegal according to EU rules.

For some time, players also had to pay a 10 per cent rate on all online gaming revenues, but this has been changed recently to a tiered system. Now, players must pay a 15 percent tax on winnings between €100 and €500. Anything over that threshold is taxed at 20 per cent. Anything below €100 is tax-free. While this is good for small stakes bettors, this is still quite steep considering other countries such as the UK don’t require players to pay any taxes on gambling winnings.

Legal Gambling Age

For most forms of gambling, players must be over 21 years old to participate in Greece. This is the case for both land-based and online casinos and sportsbooks. It is the responsibility of operators to guarantee that players are over the minimum age or risk receiving a sizable fine. The only exception to the 21 years minimum age requirement is the lottery. Players can be 18 years old to buy lottery tickets at land-based and online retailers. Also, in order to not earn the ire of local regulators, many DFS operators will only accept players over 23 years old from Greece. However, as this isn’t regulated by the HGC, this could differ from site to site.

Advertising Laws

The Gaming Act of 2011 listed a number of provisions that determine how gambling can be advertised. According to Article 35 of the law, advertising must provide a strict level of consumer protection and should not encourage participation by promising unrealistic profits. Advertising should also not make gambling seem commonplace or project an image that the taxes generated from gambling are positive for the Greek state. Of course, advertising should also not be misleading and be restricted from appealing to minors.

In 2019, Greek lawmakers approved some major reforms to the gambling industry, many of which were focused on advertising. While social media advertising is permitted, it must be restricted to those over 21 years old. Gambling advertisements also can not suggest that skills can be gained on games of chance or suggest that game outcomes can be predicted. RNG games are also banned from being advertised unless on an online casino’s website.

Penalties for Illegal Gambling

Despite the fact that Greek players have access to a free gambling market and can even play at offshore gambling sites, the law takes a serious stance when it comes to gambling-related crimes. The industry is constantly monitored to ensure that players are protected and that operators are not partaking in illegally-offered games, money laundering, match-fixing, tax evasion, and underage gambling. There are severe penalties for breaking these regulations, which can range from fines to loss of licenses and even prisons. Both civilians and operators can be charged with these crimes, so we recommend you remain vigilant when it comes to sticking to Greek gambling laws.

Upcoming Changes to Gambling Laws

Now that Greece’s gambling reform laws are near their final stages, it has become clear that the online gambling industry is set to change in a big way. Once the laws are finalized, they will need to be approved by the European Union, so it’s possible that they won’t come into effect until late 2021. That being said, the following changes are almost guaranteed;

It is quite evident that these laws will shake up the industry in a big way. While some gamblers may be limited by some of the restrictions, these trends follow many other regulations being passed across Europe, which have been implemented with responsible gaming promotion in mind.

Responsible Gaming & Problem Gambling Prevention

It is both an ethical and legal requirement that Greek gambling operators act in a manner that does not put their players at risk of harm. By this, we mean that gambling websites should do everything in their power to prevent players from developing gambling addictions, and if the matter arises, guide players to the support they need. The top Greek gambling sites have already implemented a number of features that can help players in need, such as self-exclusion or self-limitation mechanics. Below, we’ve listed several trustworthy problem gambling networks that cater to Greek gamblers and have collaborated with our recommended gaming sites to ensure their practices are safe.

Curious Facts About the Greek Online Gambling Market

Since online gambling was officially legalized in 2011, the industry has gone from strength to strength. For years, online gambling has surpassed the revenues generated from Greek land-based casinos. In 2018, online operators reported €356 million in gaming revenues compared to the land-based market’s €222 million. It is estimated that an average of €250 — €320 is spent every year by Greek online gamblers, with a majority of this being spent on sports betting. Despite its small population, it is estimated that Greek bets account for around 1.7 per cent of the total share of sports bets.

History of Gambling in Greece

Gambling has long been a part of Greek culture. By 300 BC, gambling had become commonplace in Greece, with well-known philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato making references to these gambling habits. Fast forward to the twentieth century and gambling was largely outlawed. The biggest change to what is now the modern industry began in 1958 with the establishment of OPAP, which was essentially a state-run sport betting and lottery platform. In 1994, the government legalized land-based casino gambling at nine casinos.

Shortly after, it would attempt to clamp down on online gambling in order to suppress competition of its OPAP gambling sites. This was soon to be challenged as being anti-competitive by the EU, which lead to the passing of the Gaming Act in 2011. Since then, the laws have been adjusted to create a more safe and fair market, with new changes expected for 2021.

Land-Based Casino and Gambling Resorts

With only eight land-based casinos spread throughout the country, it’s safe to say that land-based casinos are not very popular with local players. Instead, these casino resorts tend to appeal to the millions of tourists that visit Greece every year. These casinos offer everything from slot machines to table games and cater to low-budget players and VIPs. You can expect Vegas-style casino offerings at these establishments, with a number of these casinos hosting world-class entertainment and dining packages as well as luxury amenities such as spas and shopping.

Famous Greek Gamblers

Due to its small poker scene, Greece has not produced a large pool of famous poker players and gamblers. That being said, two of the most famous gamblers of all time came from Greece. The first of these, Nick Dandalos, or “Nick the Greek” was born in Greece and later emigrated to the USA when he was young. He earned a reputation as a high-roller and is rumoured to be the inspiration for the World Series of Poker due to the huge crowds that were drawn to watching him play poker. Another famous Greek player is Archie Karas, a Cephalonia-born player famous for having the largest and longest winning streak in casino gambling history.

Greek Gambling in Pop Culture

Due to the relatively short period of time that gambling has been commonplace in modern Greek history, there aren’t many movies or books about Greek gambling. That being said, we’ve still managed to find a number of recommended pop culture representations of Greek gambling which you can find the details to below.

Online Gambling vs Land-Based Gambling

For some countries, it’s difficult to choose which gambling market is better between the land-based and online options. This is not the case for Greece. With only eight land-based casinos spread throughout the mainland and its many islands, local players don’t have too many options when it comes to land-based gaming. In comparison, there are dozens of online casinos that can be accessed from anywhere in the country, with hundreds of table games, live casinos, and sportsbooks markets to choose from. There are also betting options available for all budgets at online sites, a claim that Greek land-based offerings can’t make.

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