Greece is finally allowing iGaming operators to apply for online gambling licences in the country, creating new opportunities in the market.
Bringing new players on board
This exciting announcement was made by the Hellenic Gaming Commission, who said that shareholders, executives, manufacturers and suppliers can now start applying for an online gambling licence online.
The decision was initially announced by the Greek parliament back in October 2019. Since then, the Greek Ministry of Finance has been drafting the rules and regulations for online gambling in the country. Official iGaming operators and affiliates will still have to compete against those with temporary licenses, however.
We caught up with some of the biggest affiliate and operator partners in this region to get their take on how this new ruling may change the competitive landscape.
Changing the iGaming landscape in Greece
Regarding the announcement, Marinos Shiapanis (Co-founder and CEO of Campeon Gaming Partners) said this: “The new regulation on the Greek market will definitely bring some new players on board, but their actual penetration to an already dominated market by the temporary licensees that will continue will not be very easy.”
Meanwhile, Giannis Koutivas of Kingbet Media was wholly optimistic about the news. “Greece has a very high ratio of affiliates to operators. New licenses are expected to shift this balance. We, at KingBetMedia, operate Kingbet.net, the leader among Greek affiliates and we are thrilled to work with new partners!”
Ostensibly, making online gambling licences widely available across Greece has both its pros and cons. Petros Troulinos, the Head of Marketing Operations for Kaizengaming.com, said this: “Of course, the market will grow, and more international players will enter, but the pie (pool of online users) will also grow. It goes without saying that high-quality competition will develop our teams and make our people better, to defend our title in the GR market for the years to come.”
It’s clear that the opportunity will afford new operators a chance to gain traction in the market and time will deliver a verdict as this market matures. Marketing innovation will be key to maintain brand exposure and customer engagement so we’ll be watching closely to determine how these changes might affect the ecosystem that has been built in Greece thus far.
