Greece proposes stronger gambling rules, more EEEP powers, and new taxes on online play winnings

The Greek Ministry of Finance and National Economy has put forward a bill that would tighten oversight of the licensed market, expand enforcement against illegal gambling, and change how online gaming winnings are taxed. For PSPs, the useful part is not the politics; it is the operational fallout: blocked transactions, tougher compliance expectations, and a regulator with more people and wider powers.

1. The bill would give the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) expanded powers if approved. It would also increase the regulator’s staff from 80 to 110, adding specialists in information technology, cybersecurity, analysis, and control.
2. One of the clearest payment-related measures is a requirement for banks to block transactions tied to unlicensed gambling operators. That is the sort of rule that turns banking monitoring from a nice-to-have into a direct enforcement tool.
3. The draft also raises penalties for non-compliance. People who organize illegal gambling could face up to 10 years in prison and fines ranging from 50,000 to 700,000 euros, with fines of up to 800,000 euros in exceptional cases.
4. On taxation, the ministry wants to tax winnings from each online gaming session. Winnings up to the first 100 euros would remain tax-free; winnings from 100 to 500 euros would be taxed at 20%; and winnings above 500 euros would be taxed at 30%.
5. Public consultation on the bill runs until 15 June, after which the text could be revised before being submitted to parliament. For operators and PSPs active in Greece, that makes this a live draft, not a finished rulebook.

For high-risk payment providers, the main takeaway is simple: Greece is moving toward tighter transaction controls around unlicensed gambling, stronger supervisory capacity at the EEEP, and a tax framework that reaches into online play at the session level.