Greece HGC Hellenic Gaming Commission
Greece's gambling regulator. Under the new online gambling law (4635/2019), it issues separate betting and casino licenses with 7-year terms, while part of state-owned OPAP's monopoly remains.
| English | Hellenic Gaming Commission |
|---|---|
| Classification | Licenses & Regulation |
| Authority | Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC, Greek abbreviation EEEP) |
| Location | Athens, Greece |
| Legal basis | Law 4635/2019 |
| Class 1 license | Online betting, €3 million, 7 years |
| Class 2 license | Online casino and poker, €2 million, 7 years |
| Review period | Issued within 2 months if requirements are met |
| Prohibited | Betting exchanges |
| State monopoly | OPAP (lotteries, etc.) |
Overview
HGC (Hellenic Gaming Commission) is Greece’s gambling regulator. It is also known by its Greek abbreviation, EEEP, and is based in Athens.
For a long time, the state-owned company OPAP held a monopoly on lotteries and sports betting in Greece. After 2011, some foreign online companies operated under temporary permits, but the system was unstable. Law 4635/2019 created a new online gambling framework in 2019, and the license application process began in October 2020.
History
License types
Greece divides online licenses into two types. Both are valid for 7 years and can be renewed.
| Type | Scope | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 (online betting) | Betting on real events, fantasy sports, RNG virtual event betting, etc. | €3 million |
| Class 2 (other games) | Casino games (including slots), live and RNG poker, peer-to-peer poker | €2 million |
A Class 2 license is required to offer online slots. If all requirements are met (technical and financial review, suitability review, performance guarantee, fee payment), the HGC issues the license within 2 months of application. Betting exchanges (where users buy and sell odds with each other) are prohibited.
Relationship with OPAP
OPAP still holds a monopoly on lotteries and some offline betting. Online, OPAP also holds a license and competes with private companies. The Greek market tends to be dominated by a small number of large operators, including OPAP.
Player protection and illegal sites
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 21 |
| ID verification | Identity verification required at sign-up |
| Self-limitation | Deposit and time limits and self-exclusion tools required |
| Illegal sites | Blacklist of unlicensed sites; access and payment blocking |
Relationship with slot providers
Companies that supply games to Greek operators must also meet certification requirements. A growing number of providers, such as Habanero, separately announce their “entry into the Greek market.” Compared with Italy in southern Europe and its neighbor Romania, Greece has high license costs but a relatively fast review process.
Location
The HGC is located in Athens, the capital of Greece.