Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) updates Greek gaming regulations

Greece is about to undergo a major overhaul of their iGaming laws, as Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) prepares to update and publish the list of rules. The industry's workers, operators and related brands have ten days to respond to suggested alterations and provide their comment on them.

During September and October, a prior set of regulations was discussed by the authorities of the Southern European country – these are the ones that are on the updated draft rules as amendments. The consultation and discussion period will end on January 25th.

Player Protection and Responsible Gambling:
Remarkably, there will be a serious consideration of much stricter responsible gambling controls, as the regulator plans to deliver tougher player protection policies that will extend to all forms of table games and sports betting.

Oddly, the random-number generated casino games are missing from the amendment and won't be a part of the consultation.

Regarding responsible gambling and keeping their players as away from harm as possible, all licensed operators will be required to post transparent information regarding responsible gambling on ALL pages on their website.

Furthermore, offering wagering set limits to registered users will be obligatory in addition to interventions such as restricting players' accounts upon first signs of problem gambling.

Licensed businesses will also have to provide the option of excluding players from gambling completely if they estimate that there are reasons to act in such fashion. Players themselves should be able to self-exclude themselves at any time (temporarily or permanently) and will find themselves in a situation where they can set their own wagering limits.

As a supplemental measure of safety, operators will need to check the national self-exclusion database regularly in order to see if any of their customers are on it.

Bonus rules are also being reviewed. Operators will, from now on, be required to point out the rules of bonus games very clearly and display the entire range of features that the game has. For instance, the operator needs to make it perfectly clear if a player needs to collect a number of certain symbols in order to trigger the bonus feature such as casino spins.

Advertising Under Review As Well

EEEP has also addressed some regulations in regards to gambling advertising and the ways in which that aspect of the industry should move forward.

Online operators will have to abide to certain graphic standards when it comes to designing and publishing ads on their websites – these will need to have any malicious and offensive graphics removed and make sure not to cover the gaming area of the site.

Ads will “need to be consistent with the terms and conditions of the game promoted,” and should not any point be directed at excluded players. Operators who use images of sports personas without their permission will face serious consequences in the form of revoking of license.

Those operators who wish to conduct online gambling and sports betting business in Greece will need to pay a U$S5.7 million license fee. Price of sports betting license only will be U$S4.5 million. The companies who have been put on black list over the course of the last 12 months will not be permitted to renew their license.