December was a month in which close watch was on the gambling industry in Greece. As reported by the Greek Kathimerini news source in December, gambling continued to be on the rise on a number of fronts, including lotteries, sports betting and on the Web at online casinos. The total estimate of annual Greek gambling revenue is approximated at over €8.5 billion, with €1.5 billion of this going toward illegal gambling activities, namely those which took place online and over other illegal communicable means.

In 2007, it is estimated that €3 billion in gambling revenue will come from land-based casino gambling in Greece, which is strictly regulated by OPAP. It is predicted that illegal betting activities will continue to rise as well. According to Police enforcement in Greece, one out of every ten local betting operators in Greece is helping facilitate illegal betting by allowing patrons to make bets over the phone and internet for a commission charge of 4%. Furthermore, those who partake in electronic betting, have greater wagering freedom, and tend to wager much higher stakes.

Apparently, the conveniences of making electronic bets is well worth the extra charge, for an ever increasing number of patrons are taking part in illegal betting. OPAP sports betting regulations currently minimize bettors to stakes on a single sports match and also offers less returns than offshore sportsbooks and online casinos, which is precisely where much of the illegal sports betting activities are stemming from. As one of the largest companies on the Athens Stock Exchange, and with annual gambling revenue turnovers exceeding €3.5 billion, the monopolistic OPAP will likely do all it can to prevent the widespread legalization of online casino gambling in Greece.

In the meantime, gambling in Greece is expected to continually expand at a fast rate. This year's holiday season is expected to see twice as much turnout at any of Greece's nine government regulated casinos.