Greek Finance Minister Confirms Probe Into 18 Influencers Over Illegal Gambling Ads

^{Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of National Economy and Finance of Greece / © Shutterstock}

Greek authorities are investigating 18 social media influencers suspected of promoting illegal gambling. The investigation was confirmed on October 6 by Greece’s Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, speaking at the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP).

The minister said that complaints against the influencers have already been referred to law enforcement authorities, and the cases are now in the preliminary investigation stage.

The identities of those involved have not yet been disclosed.

According to Greek media reports:

• The 18 influencers have a combined 3.6 million Instagram followers.
• The largest account has 623,000 followers.
• The investigation identified promotions of 11 unlicensed gambling websites.
• These websites are linked to eight unlicensed operators.

The 3.6 million figure is the sum of followers across all 18 accounts, not the number of unique users.

In June 2026, Greece strengthened its laws against illegal gambling. The Hellenic Gaming Commission was granted additional powers, including the authority to impose administrative penalties for unlawful online gambling promotions. Fines can reach €50,000 (approximately $58,000) per violation.

“The internet is not a jungle. Popularity does not grant immunity, and influence comes with responsibility,” Pierrakakis said.

According to government figures, approximately €1.8 billion (around $2.1 billion) was wagered on illegal gambling platforms in Greece in 2025. An estimated 900,000 people participated in illegal gambling, and approximately 15,000 websites were added to the authorities’ blacklist.

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