Cyprus — gambling regulation

Written by Alex SmithAlex Smith |
Fact-checked by Sophia NovakivskaSophia Novakivska
 | 
Regulator: ΕΑΣ (NBA)Players: legalOnline betting licensing under the 2019 Betting Law; 13 Class B licensees on the register; no online casino licensing.
Sources: 2DT-R-0037Report an error

Betting in Cyprus is governed by the Betting Law of 2019 (L.37(I)/2019), which replaced the Betting Law of 2012. The National Betting Authority licenses and supervises Class A (land-based) and Class B (online) betting. The NBA states that operating online casinos is prohibited. Under Article 79, players in illegal gambling face up to 1 year in prison and/or a fine of up to €50,000, and providers face up to 5 years and/or €300,000.

At a glance

Legal for players
Players: legal Online sports betting is legal with a Class B licence; online casino games are prohibited and players can be prosecuted.
Licence types
Class A (land-based betting), Class B (online betting); OPAP exclusive licence for games of chance
Who is punished
Operators and players (Article 79)
Penalties
Prison and fines; administrative fines up to €100,000; blocking list of unlicensed sites
Winnings tax
Not confirmed on official pages; I did not find an official statement on tax on players' winnings

Law-change timeline

  1. Betting Law of 2012 (L.106(I)/2012), since repealed
  2. Betting Law of 2019 (L.37(I)/2019) enacted, with Class A and Class B licences and betting tax
  3. OPAP (Cyprus) Ltd granted an exclusive licence under the Certain Games of Chance Law (L.52(I)/2018), running to 25 June 2039

Regulator

Εθνική Αρχή Στοιχημάτων ΕΑΣ (NBA)

nba.gov.cy

Register · News

Sources

  1. Εθνική Αρχή Στοιχημάτων — OPAP (Cyprus) Ltd granted an exclusive licence under the Certain Games of Chance Law (L.52(I)/2018), running to 25 June 2039 · nba.gov.cy · checked
  2. Εθνική Αρχή Στοιχημάτων — Betting Law of 2019 (L.37(I)/2019) enacted, with Class A and Class B licences and betting tax · nba.gov.cy · checked