Hellenic Gaming Association Intensifies Efforts Against Illegal Online Gambling

The Hellenic Gaming Association (HGA) is ramping up its efforts to combat the rampant issue of illegal internet gambling, which has reached significant proportions in recent years, causing severe economic and social impacts. Recently, the HGA, led by President Christos Panagopoulos, filed a lawsuit against an internationally active company that conducts illegal games of chance in Greece without the necessary license from the Gaming Supervision and Control Commission (EEEP). Today, the association has expanded its legal actions to include a lawsuit against two well-known Greek influencers who promote unlicensed gambling websites through their social media content.

These internet personalities have uploaded a series of videos encouraging their predominantly young audience, including minors, to visit the illegal gambling websites, sharing stories of how they supposedly "made it" by winning tens of thousands of euros on these platforms. However, they fail to disclose that these are illegal gambling companies and instead lure viewers with the promise of easy profits. The influencers' content is particularly concerning because it targets children, who can easily access these unregulated platforms where there are no controls or age restrictions, unlike legal online companies that require users to be at least 21 years old to open an account and play.

In addition to targeting the influencers, the HGA plans to submit reports to social media and online platforms that host advertisements and promote products from unlicensed providers. President Christos Panagopoulos told Capital.gr that in the initial phase, they will address the relevant departments of these organizations, and it is possible they might escalate the issue to prosecuting authorities. The HGA's initiatives aim to fill the gap left by the State, which is primarily responsible for addressing this issue but has not taken sufficient action to tackle the widespread problem of illegal gambling.

The massive scale of illegal gambling in Greece has been confirmed by recent research conducted by EEEP in collaboration with KAPPA Research. According to the survey, 900,000 Greeks, nearly one in ten, have participated in illegal gambling at least once in the past year. It is estimated that an astronomical 1.7 billion euros were spent on betting in the unlicensed environment. Of this total, 1.1 billion euros were spent on illegal online games, and the remaining 600 million euros were traded in land-based networks such as unlicensed clubs and casinos. The average annual amount spent per player on the internet was approximately 1,200 euros, while the corresponding amount for land-based gambling was 738 euros. By fLEXI tEAM