Greece's gambling commission (EEEP) is moving to close loopholes that let players register under more than one identity across platforms, the regulator said at a recent meeting.
In parallel, EEEP has tightened scrutiny of VIP and high-turnover customers who stake hundreds of thousands of euros a year. All 18 licensed operators have been asked for details of how they register such clients, how they retain them, and which bonuses and privileges they attach. The request is framed as a statistics exercise. Industry sources read it as an attempt to bring a segment that has stayed outside close attention under control.
The risk runs both ways. Generous VIP programmes can push players towards unlicensed foreign sites, costing the state tax revenue and weakening regulatory oversight. Verification today sits with each operator separately. EEEP calls that weak and wants a single verification point, probably on the state's e-Gov platform, which already handles licensing of partners and affiliates but does not yet cover all players. An earlier plan to use banks as a certification hub failed after the General Secretariat for Information Systems refused, citing the absence of a legal basis.
The Greek market is growing at 15% a year, with GGR of €1.2 billion and a forecast of €1.5 billion in the coming years. Ed Birkin, managing director at H2 Gambling Capital, says Greece remains an attractive market on the back of steady online growth and predictable regulation.
