Greek Government Defends Online Casino Tax Hike Citing Revenue and Enforcement Balance
Greece upholds July 2026 tax increases on online casino winnings (15-20% and 20-30% brackets), projecting €100m annual revenue. Officials factored demand elasticity and broader 2026 data showing 27.3% tax receipt growth. The policy links to EEEP recruitment of 40 staff and penalties up to €2m plus ten-year sentences for illegal gambling.
SCCG Take — Pairing tax extraction with enforcement resources signals intent to protect licensed operators from leakage. Regulators must demonstrate that added oversight capacity offsets margin pressure on compliant firms.
Greece’s government has reaffirmed its decision to raise taxes on online casino winnings, effective 1 July 2026, stating the changes will generate additional public revenue while paired with stronger measures against unlicensed operators.
Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis has continued to support the policy, which increased the rate on winnings between €100 and €500 from 15% to 20% and on prizes exceeding €500 from 20% to 30%. Winnings up to €100 remain exempt. The government first announced the increase in March as a means to fund support for households and businesses facing higher energy costs. Pierrakakis estimated the measure would generate approximately €100m annually.
“This intervention will increase public revenue by about €100m a year,” he said. According to World Casino News, the administration has held its position despite industry concerns, arguing the online casino sector has expanded enough to bear a greater share of state finances.
Figures for the first eight months of 2026 show taxes withheld from gambling winnings reached €369m, a 27.3% increase from €290m in the same period of 2025. Total gross gaming revenue rose 4.2% to €2.06bn, and state participation receipts from operators climbed 7.9% to €484.5m. These numbers cover the entire gambling market and do not isolate the direct effect of the July online casino tax changes.
Addressing Concerns Over Potential Market Shifts
Deputy Finance Minister Thanos Petralias stated that officials had reviewed operator data and incorporated demand elasticity before implementing the rates. Petralias noted the rapid growth in online casino games and poker as grounds for requiring a larger contribution from the sector to public finances. The tax applies only to online casino-style products including slots and poker; sports betting and OPAP products operate under separate arrangements.
Petralias pointed to legislative steps targeting illegal gambling as a counterbalance. Administrative fines can reach €2m per infringement, with certain activities carrying prison sentences of at least ten years. These penalties extend to individuals, businesses, promoters, influencers, affiliates and digital advertising networks.
Linking Taxation Policy to Regulatory Capacity
The government has connected the tax changes to efforts strengthening the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP). In October the regulator launched recruitment for 40 personnel through secondments, including seven IT specialists to support inspections, website blocking and sanctions as activity shifts further online.
The Commission estimated that gambling generated €1.17bn in state revenue during 2025, of which online gambling accounted for €737m and land-based €433m. On 6 October Pierrakakis warned that unlicensed activity damages public finances and compliant operators alike. The authorities intend to supply the personnel, technology and legal tools required for effective supervision.
Execution of these enforcement measures will determine whether the higher tax burden remains contained within the regulated market or drives activity offshore.
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