Online gambling in Cyprus
Background
Cyprus has a long history when it comes to regulated online gambling. The country has for some time operated as an offshore licensing jurisdiction, once afforded ‘White List‘ status by the UK Gambling Commission. This meant iGaming operators licensed in Cyprus were able to advertise their product in the UK market (this is no longer the case).
Cyprus has also become the base of choice for a number of payment processing companies. Virtual wallet services, like EZIPay, whose services include processing online gambling related payments operate out of Cyprus.
With regard to their internal market the Cypriot government passed the Betting Law of 2012, with the National Betting Authority (NBA) established as the regulator. The law focuses on regulating sports betting, both land-based (Class A license) and online (Class B license) and does not include licenses for online casino games. In 2018, the Cypriot government passed the Integrated Casino Resorts (ICR) Law, which specifically regulates land-based casino operations.
At present online casino games remain unregulated.
Major Operators
Online operators permitted to advertise through traditional channels and therefore familiar to Cypriot players are holders of Class B online sports betting licenses including:
- Bet365: A major international operator, Bet365 offers a wide range of online betting services to Cypriot players under the Class B category for online betting.
- Bet on Alfa: A prominent domestic operator, Bet on Alfa provides both land-based and online betting services. It is well-known in Cyprus for its sports betting offerings.
- Megabet Plus: Another significant local operator, Megabet Plus offers both land-based and online betting services. It is a popular choice among Cypriot bettors.
These operators do not offer online casino games to players in Cyprus, live dealer or otherwise.
Best live casinos for Cypriot players
The following casinos offer live dealer game accessible by Cypriot players.
