| Updated: October 31, 2025Greece boasts a rich history and is the birthplace of the Olympic Games, which have historically attracted thousands of spectators. The Games were held annually in various cities to honor the god Zeus. In ancient times, the five events were running, discus throwing, javelin throwing, wrestling, and the pentathlon.
The ancient Greeks loved to place bets on the Olympic Games, so Greece undeniably has a long history of gambling. Sports betting remains a favorite pastime for many Greeks. Today, Greek bettors can choose from a range of licensed betting sites after the country finally dismantled OPAP’s monopoly on online gambling and sports betting.
Best Sports Betting Sites in Greece
Online gambling in Greece has been legal since 2012, following the enactment of the 2011 Gambling Act. However, that same year, legislators introduced a monopolistic regime, granting OPAP (the Greek Organization of Football Prognostics) exclusive rights to offer online gambling and sports betting services. In 2021, Greece finally opened its online sports betting market to foreign operators after pressure from the European Union. Below, you will find a list of the best sportsbooks authorized to operate in Greece.
Best Sports Betting Bonuses in Greece
As mentioned earlier, Greek bettors can choose from a solid range of licensed betting sites that feature generous promotions and competitive odds. When evaluating sports betting bonuses, players should remember that they must comply with specific terms and conditions to qualify for an offer and withdraw any winnings. The most important factors to consider are the minimum odds requirements and bonus turnover. These promotions are also time-limited. Below are the bonuses most commonly found at Greek betting sites.
Match Deposit Bonus Free Bets Cashback Enhanced OddsMatch Deposit Bonus
Licensed betting sites usually provide a variety of enticing promotions. As a new customer, your sportsbook may award you a match deposit bonus, but you will need to add funds to your account to claim it. If you qualify, the sportsbook will match your deposit by a specified percentage up to a certain amount.
Free Bets
Many reputable sportsbooks targeting Greek bettors offer free bets as a welcome bonus, while some also reward existing users with free bets to boost engagement. When you claim a free-bet bonus, the operator credits a small amount that you can use to wager on a sporting event. If your bet wins, you keep the profit; if it loses, your real-money balance remains untouched.
Cashback
Cashback is another promotion available to Greek bettors. It allows players to recoup a percentage of the losses they incur over a set period. The refund is typically issued as free bets or real cash. Be aware that the offer generally includes minimum and maximum cashback limits.
Enhanced Odds
Boosted-odds promotions allow sports fans to secure higher payouts without increasing their risk. Many betting sites licensed by the Greek gambling regulator offer enhanced odds on major upcoming events. To take advantage of these offers, you simply need to place a wager on a qualifying event – no minimum deposit is required.
Betting Regulation in Greece
Gambling has always been a popular pastime in Greece. The Olympic Games, which originated in ancient Greece 3,000 years ago, already attracted wagers on athletic contests. According to legend, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus threw dice to divide the universe among themselves. These stories suggest that gambling was accepted in ancient Greece.
In 1958, the country established a gambling monopoly, granting OPAP exclusive rights to provide gambling services to Greek residents. At that time, Internet gambling was unimaginable, but in the 1990s online gaming surged in popularity worldwide.
Greece Legalizes Online Gambling Greece Ends Online Gambling Monopoly Licensing Conditions and TaxesGreece Legalizes Online Gambling
In 2002, the Greek government enacted Law 3037/2002, which banned all forms of electronic gaming in an attempt to protect residents from their potentially addictive nature. The legislation failed to distinguish between casino games and video games, meaning Greeks were prohibited from playing even console games.
Greece was hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis, and the EU stepped in with a bailout. Facing a mounting debt, Greek lawmakers chose to legalize land-based slot machines and online gambling. In 2011, the Gambling Act was signed into law, and 24 interim licenses were issued to major operators such as Betfair and William Hill. The Act also laid the groundwork for a permanent licensing framework.
However, in 2012 the Ministry of Finance presented a plan to grant the state-run company OPAP exclusive rights over the online gambling sector. In November of the same year, companies that had obtained temporary licenses were ordered to exit the market.
Greece Ends Online Gambling Monopoly
In January 2013, Europe’s highest court ruled that Greece’s monopolistic online gambling regime was illegal. The EU criticized the country for preventing reputable operators from entering the market. An interesting fact is that OPAP’s privatization was finalized in October 2013, when Greece sold its remaining 33% stake in the company to Emma Delta for €622 million.
Under EU pressure, Greece announced plans to liberalize its online gambling market in 2016, yet little progress was made for several years. In January 2020, the Greek Ministry of Finance finally submitted a draft gambling regulatory framework to the European Commission to open up the market.
In 2021, Greece officially ended OPAP’s online gambling monopoly, and the Hellenic Gambling Commission (the HGC) awarded 15 licenses to operators. In addition, companies that had obtained interim licenses in 2011 were allowed to keep operating until the end of March 2020 and to apply for a license renewal.
Licensing Conditions and Taxes
Operators that want to offer sports betting services to Greek players must obtain a license from the HGC. The license costs €3 million and is valid for seven years. Applicants must also pay a €10,000 application fee and provide a bank guarantee of €100,000. Additionally, licensees must operate under a .gr domain and host their servers in Greece. Licensed operators are subject to a 35% tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR).
Regarding player taxes, Greece initially levied a 10% tax on all gambling winnings, but in 2013 the country adopted a new tiered system:
- Winnings up to €100 are tax-free
- Winnings between €100.01 and €200 are taxed at 2.5%
- Winnings from €200.01 to €500 are taxed at 5%
- Winnings exceeding €500 are taxed at 7.5%
The tax is applied progressively to your net winnings.
Greek residents must be at least 21 years old to participate in sports betting or other gambling activities.
The HGC maintains a registry of 4,000 blacklisted gambling and sports betting sites that may not operate in Greece. Wagering on credit is strictly prohibited, while gambling advertising is permitted but must be carried out in a socially responsible manner.