Greek authorities have filed complaints against 18 influencers over the promotion of illegal gambling online. The message from Greece’s Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis is clear: a large social media following does not put anyone above the law.
The cases are now at the preliminary investigation stage, as Greece steps up its efforts to tackle illegal gambling and the growing role of social media in promoting it.
Pierrakakis Warns Influencers Over Illegal Gambling
Pierrakakis delivered the warning during a briefing at the Hellenic Gaming Commission on the enforcement of Greece’s new framework against illegal gambling.
“The internet is not a jungle,” the minister said. He added that popularity does not provide immunity and influence carries responsibility.
The minister said anyone who uses their reach to promote illegal gambling should expect to be identified and face the consequences provided by law.
He also stressed that promoting illegal gambling through social media does not create a legal “grey zone.”
The authorities are therefore looking beyond gambling websites themselves. They are also examining the channels used to bring illegal gambling to a wider audience.
Illegal Gambling Moves Into Social Media
Pierrakakis said illegal gambling is constantly changing its form.
Operators can move between websites, mobile phones, online platforms and social media. A gambling service can reach a large audience through a link, a video, an influencer or a streamer.
That creates a new challenge for regulators.
The Greek government changed the institutional framework in June to give the Hellenic Gaming Commission stronger enforcement tools. The changes also strengthened the Gaming Inspectors’ Corps and introduced immediate administrative sanctions for illegal online promotion.
Fines for illegal online gambling promotion can reach €50,000 per violation.
Greece Turns to AI to Track Illegal Gambling
The government is also using technology to respond to the changing nature of illegal gambling.
Pierrakakis said new digital tools and artificial intelligence can help authorities map illegal networks, identify illegal websites and detect the channels through which they are promoted.
The system can also support action to block illegal websites in cooperation with the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission and internet access providers.
The scale of the illegal market is significant.
According to figures presented by Pierrakakis, around €1.8 billion was wagered in Greece’s illegal gambling market in 2025. Around 900,000 people participated in illegal gambling, while approximately 15,000 websites had been placed on the blacklist.
Authorities Focus on Younger Users
The government says the issue is not only financial or regulatory.
Pierrakakis warned that younger people are increasingly exposed to aggressive forms of online gambling promotion.
He called for stronger prevention, public information and action against gambling addiction, with particular attention to minors and young people.
The latest complaints against the 18 influencers mark a broader shift in Greece’s enforcement approach.
The authorities are no longer focusing only on where illegal gambling takes place. They are also examining how it reaches its audience.
And Pierrakakis’ message is that social media influence will not provide protection when that reach is used to promote illegal gambling.
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