Greek Law Number 3037 was passed on 30th July 2002. According to an English translation of the law, the “operation and installation of any game [including electrical, electromechanical and electronic games] placed in public places such as hotels, cafeterias, organisation halls and in any other public or private place, is prohibited.”
The operation of “entertainment technical games,” defined as “those, whose result depends exclusively on the ability and skill of the player, and are used solely for entertainment,” is allowed in “mechanical games,” being “those that depend on one's muscle force,” although no betting is permitted.
The law also states that the prohibition of using computers “does not affect internet cafés, as long as the computers are not used for any gaming activities. To be able to run an internet café, a special permit is required...”
Penalties for breaching the law include fines of between €5,000 and €75,000 and imprisonment of between one and 12 months.
According to the English on-line edition of Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the blanket ban was introduced “after the Government admitted it was incapable of distinguishing innocuous video games from illegal gambling machines.”
The police authorities are given responsibility for enforcing the law. The first prosecution under the new law, against an internet café owner, is scheduled to begin this week.