Gambling games offered in Greece are classified into two main categories according to the distribution network or delivery channel used:
Α. Land-based games that are conducted through physical venues and are governed by exclusive rights granted by the State.
Β. Remote gambling games that are offered online and operate under a free-market competitive framework.
At present, the entities authorized to conduct gambling activities in Greece are:
- OPAP S.A. (Greek Organisation of Football Prognostics)
- The eight (8) casino operators.
- Hellenic Lotteries S.A.
- Hippodromies S.A. (Greek Horse Racing S.A.)
- The eighteen (18) operators licensed to offer online gambling services under Type 1 (Betting) and/or Type 2 (Casino RNG, Live Casino, and Poker), whose details can be found here.
Games are divided into two categories: technical-entertainment games, which are played for amusement and do not involve winning or losing money, and gambling games (games of chance).
Gambling Games are those in which the outcome is determined, wholly or partly, by chance and which offer a monetary prize or other financial gain to the player. A game may be classified as a gambling game only if all of the following conditions are met cumulatively:
- The outcome of the game must depend, at least partly, on chance.
- A financial stake (wager or bet) must exist, whereby the player voluntarily assumes the risk of committing money or any other asset of value to the outcome of the game, irrespective of its amount or value, in pursuit of a direct or indirect economic gain resulting from the conduct of the game. Στην έννοια της οικονομικής διακινδύνευσης περιλαμβάνεται και η συμμετοχή σε διεξαγωγή τυχερού παιγνίου που παρέχεται δωρεάν (bonus, free bets κ.λπ.) και συνδέεται με οικονομική διακινδύνευση χρηματικού ποσού ή άλλου περιουσιακού στοιχείου, η οποία προηγήθηκε ή/και ακολουθεί.
Gambling Games are governed by the laws of probability, with chance being a determining factor in the outcome of the game. The element of chance may be produced through the use of a Random Number Generator (RNG), another mechanical method, or a draw conducted physically.
Representative examples of games of chance include lotteries, number-draw games, betting activities, and casino games (such as roulette, poker, and blackjack).
Technical-entertainment games are games in which the outcome is determined exclusively or predominantly by the player’s technical ability or intellectual skill. Such games are conducted in public places solely for entertainment purposes, and no betting on their outcome between any parties, nor the awarding of any form of economic benefit to the player, is permitted. Technical-entertainment games must not include any mechanism for the calculation, recording, or payment of monetary rewards or other financial benefits to players.
Finally, according to the method by which they are made available to players, games are classified into two principal categories: land-based games, which require the player’s physical presence, and remote games, which are offered without the player’s physical presence through the use of internet, telecommunications, and/or broadcasting networks.