In an (apparently hopelessly misguided) attempt to prevent illegal gambling, the Greek government has banned ALL video games.
The Greek government has banned all electronic games across the country, including those that run on home computers, on Game Boy-style portable consoles, and on mobile phones. Thousands of tourists in Greece are unknowingly facing heavy fines or long terms in prison for owning mobile phones or portable video games.
Greek Law Number 3037, enacted at the end of July, explicitly forbids electronic games with "electronic mechanisms and software" from public and private places, and people have already been fined tens of thousands of dollars for playing or owning games....
The Greek government introduced the law in an attempt to prevent illegal gambling. According to a report in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Greek police will be responsible for catching offenders, who will face fines of 5,000 to 75,000 euros (about $4,980 to $74,650) and imprisonment of one to 12 months. "The blanket ban was decided in February after the government admitted it was incapable of distinguishing innocuous video games from illegal gambling machines," the report said.
The Greek gaming community has reacted with a mixture of shock, disbelief and anger. One Web site, www.gameland.gr, has started a news service about the ban and opened a petition to protest it. In addition, it is posting English translations of the law and messages of support from around the world.
A test case is to come before the Greek courts next week, and the Greek gaming community is already planning protests in the event that the defendant is convicted.
Wow, if they're this serious about something like gambling, I can't wait to see what happens when they tackle things like international terrorism and the drug trade. And, yes, you can always count on Greek politicians to take the express lane from the ridiculous to the sublime.
(Thanks to Natalie Solent)
