Authorities have filed complaints against personalities from the music and fashion industries as Greece steps up efforts to curb an underground betting market increasingly promoted through social media
Eighteen influencers, including well-known figures from the music and fashion industries, are under scrutiny over allegations that they promoted illegal gambling through websites and social media platforms.
The cases form part of a broader effort by Greek authorities to tackle an expanding illegal betting market, with the use of influencers and online personalities emerging as a growing concern.
The government estimates that illegal gambling generated around 1.8 billion euros in 2025, with approximately 900,000 people participating in some form of unauthorized betting. Authorities have identified and blocked thousands of websites operating outside the country’s licensed gambling framework.
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The crackdown has also focused on the increasingly sophisticated ways illegal operators reach potential customers. Influencers can promote gambling platforms directly through posts, videos and livestreams, or indirectly through promotional links, discount codes and other incentives that encourage followers to register and place bets.
The authorities have been given expanded powers to intervene against such activity, including the imposition of fines of up to 50,000 euros for the illegal promotion of gambling services. Financial measures can also target payments to and winnings from unauthorized platforms, making it more difficult for operators to use the Greek banking system.
The scale of the problem has prompted particular concern over younger users, who can encounter gambling promotions while using social media without necessarily recognizing that the content constitutes advertising for an illegal service.
Authorities are also strengthening the role of the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP), which is responsible for monitoring the gambling market, identifying unauthorized operators and maintaining the blacklist of websites that must be blocked. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are being incorporated into efforts to detect illegal activity more rapidly as operators increasingly shift their operations online.
The crackdown comes after authorities uncovered increasingly elaborate illegal gambling networks, including operations involving physical betting outlets, unlicensed online platforms and money-laundering mechanisms. One major case exposed a network that allegedly generated more than 16 million euros over eight years through dozens of storefronts and multiple unauthorized online gambling platforms.
The authorities’ attention to influencers also reflects a broader tightening of scrutiny over the commercial activity of people with large social-media followings. Online personalities are increasingly being examined not only for gambling promotions but also for undeclared advertising revenue, sponsored content and commercial arrangements involving products or services provided in exchange for publicity.
The government has said the objective is not only to suppress illegal operators but also to make it harder for them to exploit social media, digital payments and the reach of influencers to attract new customers.
The EEEP’s independence and capacity to supervise the rapidly evolving online gambling environment have consequently become increasingly important as Greece seeks to bring the sector under tighter regulatory control.
