Greece Bans More Than 400 Online Gambling Operators

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Greece is certainly getting desperate. The cash-strapped country took the harsh step of blacklisting more than 400 online gambling operators this week while attempting to sell its state lottery.

Blacklist Leaked

According to a leaked list of the 402 blacklisted online gambling sites, Greece has banned everything from online casinos to poker rooms and even gaming-related blogs. Bizarrely, the list does not include active sites like Full Tilt Poker or PokerStars, but does include operators like US casino Caesars who have never attempted to offer online services to Greeks.

So how on earth is the Greek government going to enforce this? According to the leaked report, it will try to compel Internet Service Providers to block these sites. Of course, the ISPs might not necessarily comply, and this is all leaked information, so we will have to wait for an official announcement from Greece before knowing 100%.

Privatizing State Monopoly

The blacklist followed hot on the heels of the Greece government's announcement that it had signed a deal for the operation of the country's state lotteries with an international consortium led by state gambling monopoly OPAP. The deal paves the way for the sale of the state's share in OPAP.

The sale would net the Greek government an immediate and much-needed windfall of 190 million euros ($250m). In addition, 30% of annual gross gaming revenue will be delivered to Greek state coffers earning the country an estimated 580 million euros.

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