SlotGreece has one of the oldest gambling cultures in the world - stretching from ancient dice and knucklebone games to today’s OPAP betting shops and licensed online casinos. Gambling is woven into everyday social life, from a coffee-shop game of tavli to the weekly Tzoker lottery, even as the Orthodox Church takes a sceptical moral stance and the state tightly regulates the modern market.
A long history
Games of chance appear throughout ancient Greek life: people played astragaloi (knucklebones), and dice games feature in myth and literature. In the modern era, a casino operated at Loutraki from the late 1920s (commonly dated to 1928, though some sources place the opening around 1930). The defining institution, though, is OPAP, founded in 1958 as a state organisation for football pools and numerical games. It later added Lotto and Tzoker (Joker), launched Pame Stoixima sports betting, and introduced Kino as a rapid numbers draw.
From monopoly to open market
For decades OPAP held an effective monopoly on numerical lotteries and sports betting. It listed on the Athens Stock Exchange in 2001, and the Greek state completed its exit in 2013, selling its remaining stake (33%) via the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund to a private investor. Alongside EU pressure on exclusive gambling monopolies, this accelerated the shift toward a licensed, competitive online market now supervised by the Hellenic Gaming Commission.
Culturally popular games and bets
| Game | What it is | Where it’s played |
|---|---|---|
| Pame Stoixima / Stoiximan | Sports betting (esp. football) | OPAP shops & online |
| Kino | Rapid numbers draw | OPAP shops & online |
| Tzoker (Joker) | National lottery jackpot | Nationwide |
| Lotto / Proto | Classic lotteries | Nationwide |
| Scratch cards | Instant-win tickets | OPAP shops |
| Tavli (backgammon) | Social table game | Cafes & homes |
Football betting is a national passion, and OPAP’s Stoiximan leads the licensed online market. Away from regulated products, tavli (backgammon) is a cultural staple - a game of the kafeneio played for small stakes or pride rather than serious money.
Social & religious attitudes
Greek attitudes are ambivalent. Gambling is popular and highly visible - OPAP agencies dot every neighbourhood - yet the Greek Orthodox Church generally discourages it, framing betting as linked to greed, while treating charitable raffles more neutrally. The tension between widespread play and religious caution shapes public debate, especially around problem gambling. Support is available through the KETHEA ALFA helpline (1114), established in 2011 with OPAP to help those affected.
Notable milestones
- Late 1920s - a casino operates at Loutraki (commonly dated 1928).
- 1958 - OPAP founded as the state betting and lottery organisation.
- 2001 - OPAP lists on the Athens Stock Exchange.
- 2013 - the Greek state completes its exit from OPAP.
- 2011 onward - Law 4002/2011 and later reforms build the licensed online market under the Hellenic Gaming Commission.
18+ only. Gambling can be addictive - please play responsibly. If it stops being fun, call KETHEA on 1114.