Hellenic Gaming Commission
- Founded
- 2004-01-01 in Athens, Greece
- Headquarters
- 17 Acharnon Street & Mavrokordatou Square, GR 104 38, Athens, Greece
The Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) is the independent administrative authority responsible for regulating, supervising, and auditing all gambling activities within the Hellenic Territory. Originally established in 2004 as the Hellenic Gambling Commission, the body was renamed and granted full independence with its own legal personality in February 2012. The HGC oversees both land‑based and online gambling, including games of chance, sports betting, and remote gaming services. It is composed of nine members appointed by the Minister of Finance, drawn from individuals with recognised scientific and professional expertise. The Commission’s core functions include issuing and revoking operating licences, maintaining a publicly accessible “White List” of authorised operators and a “Black List” of unlicensed online gambling providers, certifying gaming machines and software, and enforcing compliance with Greek gambling legislation. In recent years, the HGC has intensified its enforcement capabilities, blocking approximately 11,000 unlicensed gambling domains as of December 2025. It also works to combat problem gambling through partnerships with health authorities. The Commission’s headquarters are in Athens, and it operates under the legal framework defined by Law 4002/2011 and subsequent amendments. As a regulator, the HGC does not offer commercial products but manages a comprehensive licensing and compliance regime that shapes Greece’s gambling market.
Detailed Review
History and Legal Foundation
The Hellenic Gaming Commission traces its origins to 2004, when it was created as an administrative authority named the Hellenic Gambling Commission. It was restructured and renamed the Hellenic Gaming Commission in 2011, and from February 2012 it has operated as an independent administrative authority with administrative and financial autonomy, possessing its own legal personality. The legal basis for its operation is primarily Law 4002/2011, which transposed the EU Gambling Services Directive into Greek law and established the modern regulatory framework for gambling in Greece.
Organisational Structure
The HGC is governed by a nine‑member board appointed by the Minister of Finance. Members are selected for their scientific training and professional experience in fields relevant to gambling regulation. The President of the Commission is the chief executive officer equivalent, currently Antonis M. Vartholomeos, a seasoned executive with more than three decades of leadership in Greek banking, investment, and corporate transformation. The Commission maintains several directorates covering licensing, supervision, auditing, and anti‑money laundering functions. While the HGC’s exact headcount is not publicly disclosed, its team includes legal, financial, IT, and inspection specialists.
Regulatory Functions and Powers
The HGC’s primary responsibilities cover the full spectrum of gambling regulation: licensing for land‑based casinos, betting shops, lottery operations, and online gambling operators; supervision and auditing through on‑site inspections, financial audits, and technical evaluations of gaming equipment and software; list management maintaining a White List of authorised providers and a Black List of unlicensed online services; enforcement with authority to impose administrative sanctions, fines, and licence suspensions; and responsible gambling initiatives, including a cooperation agreement signed in May 2025 with the Health Quality Assurance Organisation to promote early risk detection and psychological support.
Key Regulatory Services
While the HGC does not produce commercial gambling products, it delivers essential regulatory services for the Greek market. These include operator licensing for land‑based and online gambling operators, supplier certification for gaming machines and software platforms, game and RNG certification ensuring fairness and randomness, platform and live dealer studio certification, information security management system audits to protect player data, and blacklist/whitelist administration that guides consumers and enables media platforms to avoid advertising illegal operators. The Commission also carries out enforcement actions such as domain blocking, fines, and licence suspensions against non‑compliant operators.
Recent Developments and 2026 Reform
The HGC is preparing a new legislative framework expected in 2026, which will expand its powers to target the entire illegal gambling ecosystem. Key measures include the ability to immediately suspend advertising for unlicensed services and to hold affiliates, influencers, and advertising networks accountable. The Commission is also strengthening cooperation with telecommunications authorities and domain‑registration bodies to accelerate the removal of mirror sites. These reforms are designed to address the persistent illegal market, estimated at €1.6–1.7 billion annually.
Key Products
White List (Licensed Providers)
Publicly accessible list of all legally authorized gambling operators (land-based and online).
Responsible Gambling Programs
Mandatory player protection tools, self-exclusion registry, and addiction prevention partnerships.
Blacklist (Unauthorized Operators)
List of illegal online gambling domains subject to ISP-level blocking.
Special Register of Gambling Equipment Providers
Registry of legal entities authorized to supply certified gaming machines and equipment (excluding playing cards).
Online Gaming Licenses (B2C, B2B, Media/Affiliate)
Licensing framework for operators, technology providers, and affiliate marketers of online gambling.
Certification of Games & Machines
Technical approval process ensuring fairness, randomness, and security of individual games and hardware.
Supervision & Audit Services
Ongoing compliance monitoring, on-site inspections, and financial audits of licensed entities.
Licensing Services
Granting and renewing licences for land-based casinos, online gambling operators, betting shops, lottery operators, and gaming machine manufacturers/suppliers.
Game and Platform Certification
Overseeing third-party testing and certification of games, RNGs, live dealer studios, and gaming platforms to ensure compliance with Greek technical standards.
Whitelist
A publicly accessible list of all licensed gaming providers, certified games, machines, venues, and professionals.
Blacklist
A list of unauthorised online gambling service providers that are blocked by Greek ISPs.
Equipment Supplier Register
A special register for providers of gambling equipment (excluding playing cards) operating in Greece.
Broadcast and Media Declaration Register
Published declarations from operators of games of chance on broadcast and telecommunications media.
Responsible Gambling Programmes
Collaborative initiatives with health organisations to prevent and treat gambling addiction.
Operator Licensing
Issues licences for land‑based casinos, betting shops, lottery operations, and online gambling operators, subject to rigorous due diligence and ongoing compliance checks.
Supplier Certification
Approves gaming machines, software platforms, and game content, with accredited third‑party test labs like eCOGRA performing testing aligned with HGC standards.
Game & RNG Certification
Ensures that all games of chance operate fairly and randomly through certification of Random Number Generators and game integrity.
Platform & Live Dealer Certification
Technical assessment of online gambling platforms and live casino studios to verify compliance with Greek technical standards.
ISMS Audits
Information security management system audits to protect player data and operational integrity of licensed operators.
Blacklist/Whitelist Administration
Maintains publicly accessible White List of authorised operators and Black List of unlicensed online gambling providers, used for enforcement and consumer guidance.
Enforcement Actions
Imposes administrative sanctions, fines, domain blocking, and temporary or permanent licence suspensions against non‑compliant operators, with about 11,000 domains blocked as of December 2025.
Key Persons
- Antonis M. Vartholomeos
President