Greek authorities are intensifying their campaign against illegal online gambling, with 18 social media personalities under investigation for allegedly promoting unlicensed operators to millions of followers.
Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis confirmed that the cases have reached the preliminary investigation stage as the government begins enforcing tougher rules introduced earlier this year. The individuals reportedly include influencers, rappers and models whose combined social media audience totals around 3.6 million people.
Pierrakakis said a large online following would not shield individuals from enforcement action, stressing that gambling rules apply to activity conducted through social media as well as conventional advertising channels. Operators based outside Greece are also covered when their services target Greek consumers.
New framework expands penalties
The crackdown follows the adoption of Law 5313/2026 in June, which strengthened the Hellenic Gaming Commission’s enforcement powers and expanded Greece’s framework for tackling illegal gambling. The legislation forms part of a wider effort to treat unlicensed gambling as both an economic and criminal threat.
Companies and third parties that support illegal gambling activity, including internet service providers and advertisers, can face penalties ranging from €1,000 to €2 million per violation. Individuals who promote or facilitate unauthorised gambling, including social media personalities, may be fined between €5,000 and €50,000.
The Hellenic Gaming Commission also maintains a blacklist of unlicensed gambling websites. Its website currently identifies more than 14,000 domains on the list, while government figures presented during the latest enforcement briefing put the number of blocked sites at approximately 15,000. Internet service providers are required to prevent access to operators included on the blacklist.
Illegal market estimated at €1.8bn
Greek government estimates indicate that approximately €1.8 billion was wagered through illegal gambling channels in 2025, involving around 900,000 players. The figures underline the scale of the unregulated sector despite the availability of a licensed online market overseen by the Hellenic Gaming Commission.
Greece currently has 18 companies licensed to provide online gambling, covering online betting and other products including casino games, live casino and poker. Operators providing gambling to Greek consumers without the required licence are treated as unauthorised providers.
The government has also linked its enforcement campaign to concerns over gambling exposure among minors and young adults. Pierrakakis said enforcement alone would not solve the problem and called for prevention, public awareness and cooperation between authorities to reduce gambling-related harm.
The investigation into the 18 online personalities therefore represents an early test of Greece’s strengthened enforcement regime, particularly its ability to police gambling promotion across social media and other digital channels.