Hellenic Gaming Commission

The game supervision and control Committee (Ε.Ε.Ε.Π.) deals with the full regulation of the gambling industry in Greece. It is responsible for issuing licenses for land-based and online casinos, certification of slot machines, certification of manufacturers of video slots for online casinos, and gaming equipment for land-based institutions. The regulator has developed a procedure for dealing with appeals (complaints) of players and obliged licensees to adhere to it.

Regulator licensed casinos

As of 2019, officially in Greece operate 24 Internet operators, some of them are: Paddy, Bet 365, 4starsgames, Tipbet. Along with licensing of operators certification of producers and suppliers of the game equipment is made. Gambling companies are certified by the state.Ε.Ε.Π.: Ainsworth, Aristocrat, IGT, Novomatic. The full list is available on the official website of the regulator.

In 2019, all Internet operators operating legally in Greece have temporary (transitional) licenses. After the adoption of the changes set out in the new bill of 2018, they will receive official gambling licenses.

Hellenic Gaming Commission review

Εποπτείας Επιτροπή και Ελέγχου Παιγνίων was founded in 2004 and was called "The Committee for supervision and control of gambling". The scope of the Committee was to regulate the gambling market in Greece. But in fact, the work was not done, and the state pursued a policy of dictatorship in relation to gambling in its country, putting operators in strict conditions. This problem was identified by the European Union, and the Greek government was advised to reconsider its attitude to the industry. In addition to the recommendations, a fine of 31,000 Euros was imposed, which the country is obliged to pay daily until the current legislation is amended.

• In 2011, the Greek gambling law was amended as required. The regulator was renamed "Gaming Oversight and Audit Committee" and began to regulate land-based and online casinos.
• In 2012, the Committee became an independent administrative body, previously regulated by the Ministry of Finance.
• Since 2014, the regulator has been able to apply penalties to operators.
  
• In general, the development of industry in Greece, paradoxically, is at the stage of "origin". In 2018, a new bill appeared, describing in more detail the regulation of the gambling market in the country, giving more precise definitions of gambling on the Internet.
• Currently, Internet operators operate in the state on the basis of "transitional licenses", pending approval of the new law by the Greek government.
  

An interesting fact:

Before the adoption of any changes in the legislation, the regulator gives the opportunity to publicly express and comment on the bill by means of an Internet resource to all interested parties, it can be ordinary players and large operators.

Main tasks of the Committee:

• Regulation
• Supervision 
• Licensing
• Player protection 
• State income watch

The Committee for supervision and control of the game is responsible for the protection of players in terms of social responsibility. Players can apply to be included in the self-exclusion register. Various measures are taken to protect minors from gambling addiction.

License types of Hellenic Gaming Commission

ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗ ΕΠΟΠΤΕΙΑΣ & ΕΛΕΓΧΟΥ ΠΑΙΓΝΙΩΝ (Committee on supervision and control over the game) issues licenses for various types of gambling. A necessary condition for the organization of a casino or slot machine hall is the presence of only certified games (manufacturers). For example, online casinos must have providers with a certificate from the Committee and include it in the white list.

Types of licenses:

Παίγνια με παιγνιομηχανήματα VLT – license for gambling machines.

• Type A ' for halls with slot machines in open spaces.
• Type C ' for halls with slot machines in mixed spaces.
• Type D ' for halls with slot machines on ships operating domestic or foreign vessels. Each room of the vessel shall be treated as a separate mixed zone, provided that both the vessel and the activities performed in the separate rooms in which the slot machines are installed have all permits.

Παίγνια κληρώσεων & στοιχημάτων – license for lotteries and betting.

There are two main types of licenses for online gambling: 

1. Άδεια Τύπου 1 (License 1) – issued for the organization of sports betting. The cost of obtaining a license is 4 000 000 Euros. Valid for five years.
   
2. Άδεια Τύπου 2 (Licence 2) – is issued for the organization of other types of gambling. The cost of obtaining a license is 1 000 000 Euros. Valid for five years.
   Additional gambling license:
   

Παίγνια that διεξάγονται καζίνο σε πραγματικό χρόνο – License a game with no RNG (random number generator), e.g. poker tournaments. The Cost Is 50 000 Euros.

A license for online casinos can be obtained by companies registered in Greece or the European Union and has an authorized capital of at least 200 000 Euros. The operator at the time of application must not be blacklisted by HGC for at least one year. A company applying for licensing in Greece must already have a gambling license for online gambling issued by another EU organization. The cost for consideration of the application is 10 000 Euros. After a positive decision, the company must contribute 500,000 Euros to the organization.

Tax deductions are 35% of the gross income of the company (total bets made minus the winnings paid).

Dispute resolution

Under the 2018 bill, operators must implement an effective and adequate "Player Complaint Handling System" that must include the ability to notify a supervisory authority. Complaints procedure:

• Within 48 hours of the dispute, the client must leave his appeal
• The complaint is submitted in a special form approved by the Gaming Commission
• The player must attach copies of their identity documents
• If the answer received from the institution did not suit the player, then after 10 days he can file a second complaint. In this case, the casino itself must notify the regulator about this complaint.

If it is impossible to resolve the dispute yourself, you must inform the Hellenic Gaming Commission. The casino is obliged to keep all information on the dispute until the incident is resolved in accordance with the principles of the European Union.

This process of working with players ' requests is regulated for online and offline casinos.

The law provides for the possibility of peaceful settlement of a dispute with the help of a third-party organization ADR (European organization for peaceful settlement of disputes).

Conclusion

Ε.Ε.Ε.Π. it is a serious organization engaged in the certification and licensing of gambling in Greece. Even despite the frequent changes in the legislation and the "suspended" situation in gambling for 2019, according to Casinoz, this licensee fully copes with its obligations. Especially pleasant is the fact of working with complaints of players.