The topic of online gambling in Cyprus is complex thanks to laws that are currently in flux, haphazard enforcement of the laws that are on the books and due to the fact that there are two competing governments on one island. We’ll cover all the legal details later, but first let’s begin with a look at the best casino sites in Cyprus right now.
In this bonus, the casino allows players to spin the reels a set number of times without paying for the same. Cyprus is a beautiful island country. It is best known for it's being the third most significant island in the entire Mediterranean.Over the last couple of years, online gambling has become a growing trend in the country.
Cyprus Online Shopping
Cyprus itself no longer regulates online gambling to any degree, but some casino sites hosted and regulated in other nations do accept Cypriot players. The end result is you can play at sites that have deemed safe by other regulatory bodies even if the Cypriot government offers no guarantees of its own.
However, the list of online casinos that accept players from Cyprus has grown shorter in recent times due to new legislation introduced in late 2016 legalizing online sports betting. The Greek half of Cyprus began licensing sports betting sites in November of 2016 and then expanded its internet-blocking blacklist to cover virtually every other known gambling site that does not have a license.
Many of the bigger online casinos have opted to play nicely and stop accepting customers from Cyprus. Others have already received provisional sports betting licenses and no longer offer casino games to Cypriot customers as a part of their licensing agreements. For example, people can still visit sites to bet on sports in Cyprus, but have no access to the online casino.
As of this writing, the legal situation regarding online casinos in Cyprus remains fluid. More changes to the law are expected, but we still do not know what the final legal environment will look like once the government finalizes its gaming laws.
Legal Online Gambling in Cyprus
Online gambling is outlawed across all of Cyprus, although enforcement of the law has so far proven toothless. Both the Greek and the Turkish sides of the island supposedly prohibit online casinos, but lawmakers in both areas have their hands full dealing with other matters. As a result, most people living in Cyprus have access to a wide range of gambling websites.
Keep in mind that Cyprus is effectively divided into two different nations that reject claims made by the other. The Republic of Cyprus lays claim to the entire island but in actuality only controls the southern half of the island. However, Turkey backs a government that has control over the northern half that calls itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The political situation is a bit confusing, but the laws for each half of the island are fairly straightforward. We will describe the legal situation of online gambling in each area, beginning with the southern half of the island.
The Republic of Cyprus in the south lays claim to the entire island even though the government really only controls about 60% of the island. The international community (except Turkey) recognizes the Republic of Cyprus, which is also a member of the EU. The EU membership is important to note because EU treaties require the free flow of goods and services between member states.
Laws passed in 2012 prohibit all online gambling except for sports betting as offered by OPAP, which is the state-backed monopoly lottery provider. Online casino sites have railed against the law for years on the basis that it prevents competition as required by those afore-mentioned EU treaties. Cyprus refused to comply for years, and operators headquartered in other countries have subsequently ignored local laws by continuing to accept Cypriot customers.
That whole debate may soon be put to rest. As of 2016, the Cypriot government is moving forward with plans to open the online sports betting market to international competition. The latest news has it that Cyprus will begin accepting license applications from online sports betting sites in October.
This new law has also paved the way for one brick-and-mortar casino license to be issued after a bidding process. The winner of the bid will be granted a 30-year license with a 15-year guarantee of “exclusive” operation. This casino will operate 24 hours a day, pay 15% in taxes and be limited to people aged 21 or older.
The northern, Turkish controlled half of the island is a self-declared nation that is only recognized by Turkey. The northern half has had a thriving brick-and-mortar since 1977. In fact, a large portion of the country’s financial reserves come as a result of taxes paid by casinos. Tourists from around the world make the flight from Turkey to Cyprus regularly and serve as a major boon to the economy.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus does not regulate online gambling as far as we can tell. We do know Turkey has harsh laws that forbid players from playing at unlicensed online casinos, but it remains unclear if Northern Cyprus implements similar laws. In either case, all the same betting sites that are listed at the top of this page also accept customers from the northern half of the island.
The island state of Cyprus situated in the south-east of the Mediterranean has been of cultural significance since the dawn of classical history. The name is Mycenaean Greek in origin dating from the 15th century BCE although archeological evidence points to a far more ancient hunter gatherer society dating back to 10 000BCE. Greek mythology puts the island as the birthplace of Aphrodite and Adonis. The island of love and fertility. It has also been a strategic stop off to the Middle East and has seen its fair share of conflict through the ages. Now a divided country between Turkish North and Greek South Cyprus is peaceful but still has issues simmering. Tourism has long been a major money earner for Cyprus both North and South. The strange thing is though if you a gambler looking for some casino action the Turkish North is where the casinos are. Doesn’t make a lot of sense to an outsider gambling is forbidden in Turkey and legal in Greece.
Another In Trouble With The Court Of Justice European Union
Cypriot gambling laws are not compatible with the idea of free trade according to the CJEU. OPAP the Greek company still has a monopoly and is allowed to operate random number games when it is prohibited for anyone else. It is OK to bet online on sports but not horse racing or casino games according to the 2012 Betting Law. A new law in 2015 allows one full on casino with all the usual table games and smaller slots halls one in each district. As of yet the main resort casino is not open. Travel north and you will find casinos all over the place. The Cypriot authorities do enforce the law with many raids having taken place and players arrested and computers confiscated. Although these did take place in public places as opposed to individual homes. The whole issue is not clear at all and if it’s illegal to gamble online why does the OPAP get a walk. Now the brick and mortar casino has the go ahead does that mean it will be OK to gamble online? Nobody knows.
| Best Online Casinos in Cyprus | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CY Accepted | €1,500 Bonus | 150+ Games | 100+ Mobile | 96.91% Payout | |
| 2 | CY Accepted | €300 Bonus | 200+ Games | 150+ Mobile | 97.21% Payout | |
| 3 | CY Accepted | €250 Bonus | 120+ Games | 70+ Mobile | 96.50% Payout | |
| 4 | CY Accepted | €400 Bonus | 100+ Games | 50+ Mobile | 96.50% Payout | |
Doesn’t Stop The Cypriots
Greek Cypriots travel north to gamble in the brick and mortar venues and also stay at home and gamble on the multitude of online casinos available regardless of legislation. The legality notwithstanding the ease of access to offshore sites is such that millions of Euros are gambled online every year. The best online casino Cyprus can access has to have a Greek language platform. There are not so many that offer that unfortunately but English is widely spoken on the island so it widens the options. If you are new to the scene and would like to play casino games online then there are some things that need to be taken into account. To be sure you are playing with a reputable brand there are some things to check first. The most obvious is whether a current license is held. The EU has some excellent regulatory bodies within its borders. Malta, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man are the most common with the Channel Islands featuring heavily as well. The UK Gambling Commission is held to be the strongest of all, but only deals with UK residents. Many brands have more than one license so a combination of these is not uncommon. There are also the Caribbean licenses these are usually just business licenses and on their own mean nothing toward regulation. The best Cypriot online casino will probably be the best in the UK as well all of the top brands have UK facing platforms and as such fall under strict regulation.
Keep Your Money Safe
The first line of defense for your money when gambling online is making sure all pages of the site you visit are secure. The address bar padlock icon and the prefix https must be there. This signifies that SSL Encryption is in place. Independent online security firms are engaged by the big name brands to verify and test their protocols. A logo will be on the footer of the site of companies like Thwate and VeriSign. These are easily checkable online as are the legitimacy of licenses. The European Union has some of the safest online banking methods there are so your details should be safe. If you have any concerns then use one of the many third party electronic payment methods. It may sound obvious but keep your account details to yourself. If you are trying an online casino for the first time deposit a small amount first and get feel for how the money moves about. Withdrawal times vary a lot from one casino to another.
Keep In The Know
Player forums have had an important impact on the online casino industry. Unlike other genre these forums have teeth. There is a close connection between the playing public and online casinos through the forums. A bad casino is very quickly spotted and with the speed of the internet a few threads can very quickly spread. Forums have helped bring about the shutdown of more than one rogue operation. A wise person keeps an eye on the forums even the best slip up it is good to know when then do and how they recover.
The Rest Is Personal Choice
The longer an online casino has been in business the safer the option is. Quite often though the oldest brands can be a little well old. It will all come down to how games play and the way you are treated by a particular online casino. Ask a few revealing questions of the customer service team. How they answer might be the only difference between two choices. You will come up with a list of many to choose from the industry is still growing. Whoever you finally settle on good luck and enjoy.