Greece Defends Online Casino Tax Increases After Tax Receipts Climb 27.3 Percent
Greece defends its July online casino tax hike as withheld gambling taxes rose 27.3 percent to €369.4m in the first eight months of 2026.Summary
The Greek government is defending its July 1 increase in taxes on online casino and poker winnings, citing early revenue gains. Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said the higher rates will help fund public services while authorities crack down on illegal gambling. Taxes withheld from gambling winnings reached €369.4m in the first eight months of 2026, up 27.3 percent from €290.2m a year earlier, with July-August collections alone hitting €91.3m, a 73.1 percent rise. Overall gambling taxes and fees rose 7.9 percent to €484.5m, while gross gaming revenue grew 4.2 percent to €2.06bn, led by online activity.
Under the revised rules, the first €100 of winnings per session is tax-free, winnings from €100 to €500 face a 20 percent rate (up from 15 percent), and amounts above €500 are taxed at 30 percent (up from 20 percent). Officials project about €100m in added annual revenue, with €50m expected for the rest of 2026 and €100m in a full year from 2027 onward.
Concerns remain that higher taxes could push players toward unlicensed sites, but Deputy Finance Minister Thanos Petralias argued that parallel enforcement would limit such migration. In October authorities filed criminal complaints against 18 influencers accused of promoting illegal services, and the Hellenic Gaming Commission is recruiting 40 additional staff, including seven IT specialists. New powers include tougher website blocking, expanded investigations, administrative penalties up to €2m per violation, and prison terms of at least 10 years for serious offences. Online GGR climbed 13.1 percent to €853.6m in the eight-month period, with related tax revenue up 38.5 percent to €273.8m.
(Source：Sccg Management)