Gaming Operator & Betting Licensing.

The HGC framework broadly distinguishes between land-based licences, covering casinos and physical gaming venues, and remote (online) gaming licences, covering betting, casino and other gaming products offered over the internet to Greek consumers. Each route carries its own application requirements, fit-and-proper and capital adequacy standards, and ongoing obligations, so the first question for any operator is which route — or combination of routes — its business model actually falls under.

Timelines depend on the completeness of the application, the complexity of the corporate structure and ownership chain behind it, and the HGC's own processing schedule at the time of filing, so we do not quote a fixed duration here. A well-prepared application with the supporting corporate, financial and compliance documentation in order tends to move considerably faster than one submitted with gaps the regulator has to query. We can give you a realistic estimate once we have reviewed your structure.

Yes. Foreign operators, including groups already licensed in other EU or international jurisdictions, regularly apply for an HGC operator licence, typically through a Greek-incorporated licensed entity or branch structured to satisfy the HGC's ownership and fit-and-proper requirements. The corporate structuring involved — and how it interacts with the group's existing licences elsewhere — is usually the first thing worth getting right before an application is filed.

A licensed operator is expected to maintain AML controls, responsible-gambling and player-protection measures, technical certification of its gaming systems, and regular reporting to the HGC for as long as the licence runs. These are not one-off conditions checked at application stage — they are standing obligations, and the HGC's supervisory expectations around them continue to develop, which is why most licensed operators treat compliance as an ongoing function rather than a box ticked at launch.

Applicants must satisfy the HGC's fit-and-proper criteria for owners, directors and key personnel, alongside capital adequacy requirements intended to demonstrate the financial standing to operate responsibly and meet player liabilities. The precise structuring — corporate form, ownership chain, and how capital is evidenced — should be confirmed against your specific circumstances rather than assumed from a generic checklist, since the HGC scrutinises the structure behind an application as closely as the application itself.

Offering betting or gaming products to Greek consumers without the relevant HGC licence exposes the operator to regulatory enforcement action, and can also affect any affiliates, payment providers or technology suppliers connected to that activity. The HGC actively monitors the market for unauthorised gambling directed at Greek consumers, which is why operators expanding into or already active in the Greek market should confirm their licensing position before, not after, launch.