Licensed gambling companies in Greece spent approximately €130m ($147m) on advertising in 2025, according to the Hellenic Gaming Commission’s annual report. They allocated a further €69m to sponsorships and €3.5m to corporate social responsibility, taking the combined total to approximately €202.5m.
The regulator, known as the EEEP, said the internet accounted for the largest share of advertising activity. Search, online video, social media, mobile applications, influencers and podcasts featured in operators’ marketing mix, with television the next-largest medium.
The move towards digital channels has also made it harder to track where promotions appear and which audiences they reach.
The EEEP plans to develop a method for judging whether a gambling campaign is proportionate. Its assessment would consider factors including advertising intensity, distribution channels, geographical reach and the times at which promotions are shown.
The commission said it currently lacks an objective way to determine when a campaign exceeds the bounds of socially responsible advertising.
Existing rules require licensed operators to submit commercial communication plans for approval. Promotions must avoid targeting minors and vulnerable groups or presenting gambling as a route to wealth or social standing.
The regulator also scrutinises age controls on social media and how operators advertise bonuses, competitions and other rewards. It favours limiting broad public promotion of such offers and providing details to registered players through operator websites or communications to which they have consented.
During 2025, operators submitted 1,775 plans and notifications for review. The EEEP approved 1,301 and rejected or received the withdrawal of 156; the remainder were assessed in 2026.
Of the approved plans, 73.7% concerned online gambling, compared with 25.1% for land-based products and 1.2% for broadcast games. Those figures describe the types of gambling promoted, rather than the media used to advertise them.
The advertising review follows 19% year-on-year growth in Greece’s online gambling market in Q1 2026.
The EEEP is also reviewing online player verification requirements, while its action against influencers accused of promoting unlicensed operators highlights another area of digital marketing scrutiny.
The average approval time for online gambling promotion plans was 8.29 days in 2025
