Greece Introduces New Measures to Combat Illegal Gambling Sites
Greece has taken a significant step forward in its efforts to combat illegal online gambling by approving a “key cooperation” aimed at implementing advanced web-blocking and domain shutdown measures.
According to the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP), a new strategy has been put into action in collaboration with the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT). This initiative focuses on “DNS-based” web-blocking and domain name enforcement to enhance the country’s regulatory capabilities.
The Commission emphasizes that this legislation introduces “a faster, more technically documented and more effective system” for pinpointing and shutting down unlicensed online gambling operators.This cooperation is part of the broader “new Gambling Framework” bill, drafted by Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis, which aims to modernize Greece’s gambling laws and strengthen enforcement against the rising black market gambling industry.
The new approach will transform how the EEEP monitors and penalizes illegal gambling websites. Previously, such websites were primarily blacklisted, serving as a public record of illicit domains.
Now, instead of just listing these sites publicly, domains flagged as illegal will be incorporated into a dedicated “Response Policy Zone” (RPZ) within the EEEP’s “DNS Server.” This setup provides the technical backbone for quicker, more coordinated blocking of illegal gambling sites across Greece.
The EEEP notes that illegal operators are increasingly shifting between domains, apps, and digital services, which necessitates “more agile enforcement tools than those provided by traditional website-blocking measures.” The legislation also grants the EETT a formal role in establishing the technical and operational standards for how telecommunications infrastructure interacts with the EEEP’s “DNS Server.” These standards will be developed by the EEEP after consultations with the telecom regulator.
An important feature of this framework is the formalized information-sharing mechanism between the two authorities. Under this system, the EETT will provide weekly reports to the EEEP detailing all new “.gr” domains and other country-code domains registered within Greece. The EEEP will then compare these registrations against its blacklist to identify domains potentially linked to illegal gambling activities.
This proactive monitoring marks a shift from a reactive enforcement model to a more anticipatory approach to policing Greece’s digital landscape. When the EEEP identifies a domain involved in illegal gambling, it will instruct the relevant registry to suspend it. The EETT will oversee the temporary deactivation and ban the domain’s registration for two months, after which it may be permanently removed from the registries, as appropriate.
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This cooperation framework is part of the government’s broader overhaul of Greece’s gambling legislation. It aims to expand the EEEP’s institutional role through increased supervisory powers and enhanced digital enforcement tools.
Alongside the DNS-based system, the bill introduces new technical standards for domain management, risk assessment, and operational procedures to better identify and disrupt illegal gambling websites. Penalties for violations are also being strengthened. Offenders, whether individuals or businesses facilitating unlawful gambling will face multi-million euro fines. Serious criminal offenses could result in prison sentences of up to 10 years, underscoring the government’s commitment to treating illegal gambling as a serious organized crime.
Additionally, the EEEP has launched a tender to appoint a cybersecurity and information systems partner to bolster player verification, KYC procedures, and anti-money laundering measures. The government is also awaiting parliamentary approval of a budget package that will fund the expansion of the EEEP’s workforce from 80 to over 100 specialists. This dedicated unit will focus on intelligence gathering, digital investigations, and dismantling black market gambling networks.
This legislation represents the first comprehensive legal effort by an EU Member State specifically targeting the online gambling black market. Greece estimates that this illicit industry has grown into a €2 billion ($2.3 billion) annual economic threat. As stated to the European Commission, Greece is positioning itself at the forefront of Europe’s tech-driven approach to fighting illegal online gambling aimed at protecting consumers, vulnerable citizens, and the wider economy.
