The state is about to file its first lawsuit against one or more unlicensed online gambling companies with a presence in Greece, Kathimerini understands.

At a later stage, legal action will also be taken against a prominent social media influencer who urges his hundreds of thousands of followers to engage in illegal betting.

According to information, through the lawsuits that are going to be filed, the prosecution of the representatives of illegal betting will be requested for the crime of organizing and conducting games of chance and the acts of criminal tax evasion and money laundering.

In 2023, the turnover of illegal betting amounted to about 1 billion euros, according to a survey by Kappa Research, an amount that may actually be much higher because this illegal activity can hardly be fully detected.

Through a global network of offshore companies based in tax havens and websites that, though blacklisted by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) continue to operate, illegal online betting continues to flourish at the expense of tax revenues, as well as of licensed providers who have paid to obtain their permits.