Greece Gambling Sites and Law | 2024 Updated Guide
Greece has one of the longest and most interesting histories of all civilizations. This is true for Greece gambling sites and law too. Betting has been one facet of its past, present, and future. Even the Greek gods are believed to have enjoyed the occasional betting game. Some people claim that Zeus and Poseidon rolled dice to determine how they would split the universe. In fact, the term “gambling gods” may be attributed to Hermes and Pan, who the Greeks would look to for gambling luck. The more things change, the more they stay the same. These days, the betting scene in Greece is far different with their many world-class casinos and sports betting sites but Greek gamblers continue to look to the gods for luck.
Greece gambling sites and law are in a state of drastic change in Greece. Casinos and other wagering establishments are fully licensed and regulated but they are under a state monopoly, OPAP. This caused a stir and it was determined that this monopoly over betting violated EU laws. Greece’s online betting laws are being amended.
- 1History of gambling in Greece
- 2Greece online gambling laws and regulations
- 3How to pick Greece top gambling sites
- 4What are the best Greek Gambling Sites and promotions?
- 5Most popular options for betting in Greece
- 6Safe and secure Greek Gambling
- 7Best payment methods to use at Gambling Sites in Greece
- 8Customer support for Online Gambling Greece
- 9Tips you can use at Greece Top Gambling Sites
- 10What to Really Expect from Greek Betting
- 11Pros and Cons of Sports Betting in Greece
- 12FAQ About Greek Sports Betting
Top 10 Gambling Sites for Greece in 21 November 2024 – Updated List
History of gambling in Greece
- Greece betting sites and bookmakers are legal. Likewise, land-based casinos and online casinos are also considered legal.
- To offer gambling services, a license is required, and it is granted by a commission controlled by the government. The name of this commission is the “Hellenic Gaming Commission”.
- There are two types of licenses for online gambling: Type A (online betting) and Type B (online casino games).
- Licensed operators are required to have all their servers and headquarters in Greece.
- Each license is valid for 7 years. Licensed operators must limit the maximum bet in their games to 2 EUR. They also pay an average of 35% income tax.
Further Information
Greece online gambling laws and regulations
How to pick Greece top gambling sites
If we had prepared a bookmakers by country list, Greece would rank quite low due to the small number of local operators. But that doesn’t mean Greek players don’t have a choice. On the contrary, the internet is full of numerous operators that accept Greek players, and the local government is not preventing this in any way. In other words, you are not limited to gambling sites in Greece: the government does not block offshore bookmakers and casino sites, and there are no restrictions on financial transfers. Therefore, you are free to choose what you want among thousands of options on the internet.
Tip
- Start by checking the license. Make sure the bookmaker you choose is licensed from a reputable institution such as Malta, UK, and Curacao.
- Check out the supported sport types. The bookmaker needs to support both popular and exotic sports. Likewise, local leagues and events should be supported, as well as global tournaments.
- Watch out for odds. You won’t find a bookmaker that offers low odds or high odds in every match, but there are bookmakers that generally don’t fall below the industry average, or even stay above it for the most part. Make sure you get the best odds possible by doing a simple comparison between low odds vs high odds.
- Check out the bonuses. Both new members and existing members should be able to enjoy advantageous bonuses. In other words, check out not only free bet offers for new members, but also betting promotions for existing members.
- Compatibility is important. Visit the site with different devices (desktop/mobile) and make sure you get the same performance and features on each.
What are the best Greek Gambling Sites and promotions?
Most popular options for betting in Greece
Safe and secure Greek Gambling
If you want to have a safe and secure experience at betting sites in Greece, we recommend that you pay attention to the following:
Further Information
- Make sure the site you use is licensed from a reputable agency. United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and Curacao eGaming are the most prestigious licenses in this regard. License information is located at the bottom of each page of the sites. Do not forget to verify it by clicking on the logo of the licensing agency. Never play on unlicensed sites.
- Make sure every page is encrypted with SSL. This is extremely easy to check. Look at the left side of your browser’s address bar. If you see a green lock icon, that page is encrypted with SSL. In other words, the information you send to the server (for example, your financial information) is safe.
- Although not a stand-alone criterion, the sponsorship of sports teams by the bookmaker or sports betting exchanges is a certain sign of quality and trust. For example, if you can’t decide between two Malta-licensed bookmakers, choose the one with a sponsorship.
- As always, read user reviews/comments by browsing forums and sites like ours. Are the comments of people who are members of that bookmaker positive or negative? Do customer representatives respond to these comments? Likewise, prefer operators that are active on social media. If you have a problem, you can share it directly on their social media accounts.
Best payment methods to use at Gambling Sites in Greece
- Start by checking out Euro bookmakers and betting sites. Euro is the official currency in Greece, so the bookmaker must be able to accept it. If you prefer crypto betting, there are also international sites that offer this option.
- Do not use bank transfers without an “intermediary”. Bank transfers are long and cost way too much. But with an intermediary, they can be cheap and fast. Check out our guides for Trustly betting sites and Rapid transfer bookmakers and betting sites for more info.
- If you decide to use an e-wallet, PayPal should be your first choice. (Check our best PayPal bookmakers and betting sites article to learn why.) Neteller and Skrill should be your next options.
Customer support for Online Gambling Greece
To get a professional and satisfying customer service experience at gambling sites in Greece (and international operators), remember the following:
Tips you can use at Greece Top Gambling Sites
Tip
- If you play at international betting sites, make sure that local Greek leagues and country-specific sports are supported.
- Reach out to customer service on your birthday and request a special bonus: you will almost always be able to get it.
- If the bookmaker of your choice has a mobile app, use it as it may have special bonus offers for mobile players.
- Before you become a member of a site, carefully read the terms and conditions of use, and pay attention to the min/max deposit and withdrawal limits.
- If you are a beginner, prefer standard bets such as money line. Bets such as handicap and point spread betting should only be preferred after gaining some experience.
- Make sure there is a free bet bonus available to you as a new member. This way, you can place your first bet without risk.
What to Really Expect from Greek Betting
As we mentioned above, Greece gambling sites and law has many restrictions. Betting is legal, but your local options are very limited. It is almost impossible to find advantageous bonuses, high odds, and types of sports betting for European leagues on the sites of local operators. These operators, which are few in number, can only provide basic service.
Therefore, if you want to have a quality and satisfying experience, even enjoy live betting, you should choose international bookmakers. As we mentioned before, there is nothing preventing this: the Greek government does not block sites (unless they attract a lot of attention) and does not restrict money transfers. Almost every international bookmaker accepts members from Greece and does not limit the types of services offered to them in any way. For this reason, you can get the ideal betting experience not on gambling sites in Greece but on the internet: Remember that you are not limited to local options.
Pros and Cons of Sports Betting in Greece
PROS
- All forms of gambling are legal
- International operators are not blocked
- There are lots of bookmakers that support Euro
CONS
- Gambling is kind of a government-run monopoly
- There are almost no local operators
FAQ About Greek Sports Betting
If you are asking can you bet in Greece, the answer is yes: Gambling is legal in this country. However, as mentioned above, it is also kind of a government-run monopoly, so your local options are quite limited.
The gambling legal age in Greece is 23, and this is a pretty old age when compared to other European countries: Most of the time, it is 18.
Possibly in response to the economic crisis here, the government introduced a tax on gambling winnings in 2013. Any winnings between €100 and €500 were taxed at a rate of 15% and a 20% tax was applied to anything over €500.
Greece is a part of the European Union, so its local currency is Euro. Therefore, gambling sites available in Greece accept Euro too. (However, you can still use other currencies if you want to.)
Yes, all of the Greece gambling sites (and mobile casino Greece sites) mentioned in this article are compatible with mobile devices. You can use any device to play on them.
Check our list of Greece Gambling sites
Now you’ve learned everything you need to know about Greece gambling sites and law. How about some practice? If you listen to our recommendations and choose among the best Greece betting sites we recommend, we are sure that you will start winning in a short time. Choose one right one now, sign up, and start playing using your welcome bonus. Don’t forget to visit us often, as we regularly update our gambling sites in Greece list. Good luck!