Gambling Laws in Cyprus

Gambling in Cyprus is legal in much of its variety under several acts, the most important of which include: the Betting Law of 2019 [L. 37(I)/2019], the Gambling Law 108(I)/17/7/2012, the Gambling Law 4374/28/12/2012, the bilateral agreement between Cyprus and Greece regarding the work of the Greek Organization of Football Prognostics, the Lotteries Law from 1974 and its amendments, and the Casino Operations and Control Law of 2015.  Various provisions of these acts, while allowing for all sorts of land-based games, prohibit several forms of online gambling in Cyprus. The prohibition includes online casinos, online poker, online lotto, online bingo, as well as exchange betting. However, online sports betting is considered to be legal.   The bodies responsible for the regulation of the gambling activities in the country are the Ministry of Finance, the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission, and the National Betting Authority. And according to the Cypriot gambling laws, minors under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in any gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Cyprus? Partly. According to the Betting Law of 2019 [L. 37(I)/2019], online casinos, online poker, online lotto, online bingo, and exchange betting are prohibited in Cyprus. The only gambling game that is legal is online sports betting.

Online Casinos in Cyprus

As of July 2019, there are no online casino sites in Cyprus. Online gambling in the country is partly prohibited, and consequently, there are no Cypriot casino licenses on the offer. Moreover, the authorities are active in blocking foreign operators who access the market and target Cypriots. 

Online Poker in Cyprus

Online poker sites in Cyprus are also illegal. Although there are no specific Cypriot poker laws, the provisions on online gambling from the Betting Law of 2019 [L. 37(I)/2019] specifically states that this game is prohibited in the country. As a result, foreign platforms, targeting poker players from Cyprus, are actively being blocked.

Online Lottery in Cyprus

The Cypriot lotto laws are generally derived from the Lotteries Law from 1974, as well as its amendments. There is a national lottery, but the dominant player in the country’s lottery market is OPAP SA, which offers a number of numeric lottery games. However, due to the prohibition of many online gambling games in the country, online lotto sites in Cyprus are also illegal. 

Online Bingo in Cyprus

Although there are no specific Cypriot bingo laws, the situation with the online legal status with this gambling game is not different than the one with the others. Due to the illegal status of most online gambling games, there are no domestic platforms offering online bingo sites in Cyprus, as of July 2019.

Online Sports Betting in Cyprus

Sports betting is the only form of gambling that is legal to be offered online, according to the Betting Law of 2019 [L. 37(I)/2019]. In this way, the access to online sportsbook sites in Cyprus is easier, though bettors are still aiming at higher odds and a wider offer of sports, which they can find in unlicensed platforms. 

Online DFS in Cyprus

Online DFS sites in Cyprus are not legally regulated. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that Daily Fantasy Sports could soon become legal in Cyprus.