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Greek Casinos
The gambling industry in Greece is volatile. With frequent bans, and soon after abolishing of those bans, it has been through it all. The government had a direct interest in the sector through Greek Organization of Football Prognostics S.A {OPAP}. The company was licensed by the government to provide gambling services to Greek nationals. It was 33% state-owned, and thus the government ensured it had a monopoly by handing a 20-year providence license in 2000. This obliterated all competition from land-based to internet casinos, with several suits filed with the E.U regarding unfair competition.
Several raids were conducted to crackdown on illegal gambling across the country. These efforts were somehow successful with land-based casinos but proved a daunting task with online casinos. Since the financial crisis in the early 2010 Greece was hit hardest and had received two bailouts in 3 years. The government passed a bill to allow several firms to conduct gambling to raise adequate revenue. This move proved futile and was later scrapped. The government ensured OPAP’s reputation and the network was raised high enough. In 2013, it sold its entire stake to an investment firm.
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Online gambling has been long in process, with several European casinos offering services in Greek language and currency. With the country still cash-strapped, all measures are being explored to move out of the blockade that threatens the country’s survival.
In this article, we will review Greece Casinos and Gambling, foreign casinos, online gambling, live casinos and popular Greece Casino games.
Popular Greece Casinos
Greece has several casinos across the eight cities. In this chapter, we will do a casino review for the best casinos located in Greece.
- Regency Casino Mont Parnes – Located in Athens, this spectacular site is accessible by both road and cable-railway with scenic views of the mountain. The casino is small but has a handful of games on offer such as the popular blackjack, roulette and poker table games. It is open 24/7 and has live games from early afternoon, all through to early mornings. There are regular tournaments in the casino daily. The entry fee is 5 Euros, and minimum age entry is 21. The downside with this casino is that it offers no poker games for cash, as most punters would prefer. The unique feature is the well-organized live casino games.
- Regency Casino Thessaloniki – This is the largest casino in Greece with 13,000sq feet of gaming space. It contains 150 plus rooms, exquisite entertainment, almost 1000 gaming machines and tens of table and poker games. It is open 24/7 with add-ons like free parking, gift shops, swimming pool and gift shops. The entry fee is 7 Euros, and minimum age is 21. The stand-out feature is the welcome bonuses games it offers to the VIP customers.
- Club HotelCasino Loutraki – A similarly large casino offering 50 plus live table games. It’s open 24/7, with video slots and games as Texas Hold’em poker on rotation throughout the day. Located in the city of Loutraki. Live table games are from afternoon to dawn. The dress code is casual, and it charges no entrance fee. The minimum age for entry is 21 years. There are some classic real money slots such as Popeye, Hollywood jackpot slots, Wild slots and777 classic slots.
- Casino Rodos – The modern casino has over 300 games on its platform. Aged at almost two decades, the casino is among the original gambling venues in Greece. It is famed for luxurious suites, candid bars, and effective customer support. It is relatively large with 18,000 sq feet and 40 table and poker games. The minimum bets on live table games range from 2 to 15 Euros. It charges 6 Euros for entry, and a gambler has to be 21 years and over.
- Casino Syros – It’s a small casino located in the town of Hermopoulis. The rates and location of the casino speak volumes on the services it offers. With less than 100 slot machines and 20 live games, the minimum bet ranges from 1.5 to 10 Euros. It’s open 16 hrs a day, with live games on for 6 hrs a day. It doesn’t charge an entry fee with minimum age being 21 years. There are free slots for practice for first-time gambles. The downside is that gamblers cannot wage real money on poker games.
Online Greece Casinos
It is not absolutely clear whether online gambling in Greece is legal. Since OPAP has a monopoly license to supply all gambling services and products till 2020, most customers go for online gambling in casinos accepting Greek players. The following are some of the best Greece Casinos Online:
- Mybet – The betting site has been operational since the early 2000’s and has been licensed by multiple commissions and countries. A large platform of over 14,000 games, ranging from live casino to sports betting. It hosts several software providers such as Aristocrat, NetEnt, Microgaming, and IGT which means there can never be a shortage of games here. The best thing about the company is that it provides a variety of language selection. Greek nationals are well covered in the language and currency department. German engineering technology is used to protect player’s data and prevent any hacking. The welcome bonuses in deposits, free spins, and cash backs options are golden, with 100% deposit bonus up to 500 Euros. The unique feature is the Return to Player {RTP} of 97%.
- Novibet – This betting site holds multiple licenses from Europe. Regulated by UK Gambling Commission, it has further undergone testing by several software auditors and verified as Gaming Labs Certified. Its policies on responsible gambling are unique, and it goes a step further in engaging Independent Betting Adjudication Service {IBAS} on solving disputes. All data on the site is encrypted, safe and secure. With several casino certifications, it avails popular and new games from top developers as Bally, IGT, WMS, Playtech, and Microgaming. It offers a 100% deposit bonus of up to 100 Euros and weekly free spins; its uniqueness stems from superb customer support, responsible gaming, and multiple payment options.
- King Billy – A foreign casino from Cyprus, which is luxurious and offers hundreds of games on its platform. The graphics are intense and animations superb. The site hosts tens of top game developers. It offers a bonus deposit of up to 555 Euros and 73 free spins for new sign-ups, weekend bonus for customers, 11% cashback wager; free weekend spins and now has a bonus deposit and free spin Christmas bonus. It hosts several novices’ slots free for practice, but a fascinating feature is the payment option of bitcoins.
Greece has suffered cash crisis in recent times, and it’s still going strong. The ancient history preserved serves as an attraction for tourists and gamblers. The land-based casinos are adequate and diverse, thus cater for all classes of gamblers. The government’s crackdown on illegal gambling only proves that there is an opportunity for revenue generation in taxes if they regulate the industry soberly. The current estimates put the illegal gambling industry at $1 billion.
Most Greek citizens often use online gambling services from foreign casinos due to OPAP’s monopoly. Mobile slots in online casinos are a fan favorite. With 2020 fast approaching, and OPAP’s license expiring it remains to be seen, whether the government will interfere with the industry, or let it be a free market.