Greek Gaming Commission

Initially, interim licenses were issued by the HGC to over 20 online casinos. These casinos were fully licensed to operate from within Greece and to legally accept players from within the country. Despite this initial lenience in license issuing, however, the government eventually demanded the companies leave Greece which left only the government-owned OPAP casino with a virtual monopoly over the market. The state-run online casino is limited in the games and services it provides, meaning many Greek residents still sign up to overseas casinos that still accept players from the country and routinely make efforts to attract more.

Whilst overseas-based casinos cannot get a license to operate in Greece anymore, players of the territory are not legally restricted from playing at them. Legal restrictions are aimed at the companies themselves, as opposed to any players who gamble at unlicensed casinos on the internet. Due to this lenience in terms of enforcing the rules upon individual players, many online casinos operating from international territories target themselves toward the Greek market. Such targeting is done by making services available in the Greek language and providing bonuses and rewards with Greek customers in mind. Greece uses the Euro, meaning players have minimal issues with conversion rates when gambling online due to many countries and their licensed online casinos accepting this currency.

As discussed above, despite the issuing of over 20 licenses to online casinos in 2011 - these have since been revoked with businesses ordered to cease operating within the country. As such, the state-owned OPAP casino remains the only licensed online casino in Greece. The safest option for Greek players will always remain casinos licensed in Greece, with only the publicly-owned operator being available at present. By using the OPAP casino, Greek players can be assured they're not going to run into any legal issues now or in the future and that the games they're playing are run fairly with their personal details being kept secure. The situation may change, with the European Union taking issue with Greece's change of rules which automatically gave the government an effective monopoly over the market.

How Greek Players Can Stay Safe

Unless such a time comes that the EU prompts a change of approach from the Greek government, there are still ways that Greek gamers can continue to safely place bets and play other games with competing casinos. Checking for licenses issued by other reputable authorities, such as Alderney or the UK, is one of the best ways to ensure an online casino is both safe and fair to play at. Additionally, user reviews and memberships of respected industry bodies can also be factors a Greek player uses to determine the safety of an online casino.