In July and August 2026, Greece experienced a remarkable 73.1% surge in taxes collected from online gambling winnings, a significant outcome following the implementation of elevated tax rates on payouts from online casinos and poker. The Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) released data on October 29 indicating that online gambling operators withheld €91.3 million in taxes during the initial two months under this revised tax framework, compared to €52.8 million during the same period in 2025.
Despite this increase in tax revenue, gross gaming revenue (GGR) from online gambling slightly declined, totaling €206.5 million—down 1.4% from €209.5 million a year earlier. Prior to the introduction of the increased tax rates, the amount withheld by online operators had already seen a significant rise, up 25.9% in the first half of 2026.
The data revealed that for the January-August 2026 period, taxes withheld from player winnings amounted to €369.4 million, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 27.3% from €290.2 million. Online operators alone contributed €273.8 million of this total, marking a 38.5% rise compared to the prior year.
Overall, the GGR across the entire Greek gambling market rose by 4.2% to reach €2.06 billion, compared to €1.98 billion in the first eight months of 2025. The state’s revenue from public participation, which includes the HGC levy, also increased by 7.9%, reaching €484.5 million, up from €448.8 million.
As part of a new initiative to improve transparency, the HGC will now publish financial results monthly, with September 2026 figures expected by November 10.
The updated tax regulations were established under Article 69 of Law 5313/2026, which specifically targets online casino games and other online gaming formats under Greek law. The breakdown of the new tax structure is as follows:
– Winnings up to €100 per gaming session are tax-exempt.
– Winnings between €100 and €500 are taxed at 20%.
– Winnings exceeding €500 are subject to a 30% tax.
These revisions were announced in March by the government as part of a broader economic strategy. Deputy Minister of Finance Thanos Petralias stated that the new tax framework aims to align with the rapid growth of online gambling, ensuring fairness in augmenting state revenues. At that time, he projected that the new tax system would generate an additional €50 million in 2026 and €100 million in 2027, based on insights from gambling operators regarding evolving customer behaviors.
The Greek government remains cognizant of how increased tax rates might prompt players to shift towards unlicensed gambling alternatives.
