Gaming Equipment

To be eligible to apply for specific gaming equipment or a class of gaming equipment approval, the manufacturer and supplier of the gaming equipment must have a gaming supplier licence with the Commission and have either a contract of supply or a pending contract (which contract is subject to obtaining gaming equipment approval) with the Cyprus Integrated Casino Resort (ICR) operator. Applications received that do not meet these criteria will not be accepted and you could lose your application fees.

Under Part VII of the Law Regulating the Establishment, Operation, Function, Supervision and Control of Casinos and Related Matters of 2015 (Law) and Regulation 26 of the Casino Operations and Control (General) Regulations of 2016 (Regulations), the Commission must approve or exempt from approval all gaming equipment to be used in the Cyprus Integrated Casino Resort (ICR). Gaming equipment requiring approval, includes gaming machines, electronic monitoring systems, gaming tables, electronic gaming tables, chips, dice, cards and parts of, or accessories of any such machine, equipment or systems for use in the ICR.

Application for approval of gaming equipment for use in the ICR may only be made by the ICR or by the holder of a gaming supplier licence issued by the Commission. Where the supplier of gaming equipment does not hold a gaming supplier licence issued by the Commission, the ICR must make the application for approval of the gaming equipment.

A separate application for approval must be made for each type of gaming equipment or device.

Regulation 26(1) provides that any gaming equipment used or intended to be used by the operator must be approved by the Commission and used in accordance with that approval and any conditions thereof.

The Commission may, in specified circumstances, waive some of the information and documentation required in support of an application. ALL of the following criteria MUST be met before the Commission will consider applying a waiver and accepting a simplified application. However, please note that, even if all criteria are met, the Commission may require a full application to be made (including supporting documents) should it have any concerns. Should the Commission accept a simplified application it may call for further information at any time as it sees fit.

To be eligible for the waiver, ALL criteria must apply:

• approval and/or licence for use of gaming equipment was received by a gaming operator in any another member state of the European Union or which has been legally manufactured in a state belonging to the European Free Trade Zone or in a state with which the European Union has signed an agreement for a customs union and mutual recognition for compliance evaluation of products
• sufficient evidence is presented to satisfy the Commission regarding the existence of such approval and/or licence in the particular jurisdiction
• the technical standards and specifications of the particular jurisdiction where they are approved and/or licensed do not deviate substantially and are not substantially less protective than those applied by the Commission in relation to the technical standards set out in the Commission Standards Notices.

If you consider that you can meet ALL of the above criteria, then please contact the Commission: licensing@cgc.org.cy or telephone 0035725573810.

You must apply for a gaming equipment approval, where such gaming equipment is intended for use in the ICR. The application may be made by the gaming equipment supplier or manufacturer or the ICR operator, provided that each of those has the appropriate licence with the Commission.

Applicants must:

• be able to demonstrate that the gaming equipment can meet the Commission’s gaming equipment technical standards or is eligible for an exemption
• ensure that the operation of the gaming equipment proposed to be used minimises the risks to the licensing objectives
• work with the Commission in an open and cooperative way, and
• disclose to the Commission anything which the Commission would reasonably expect to know.

For every application, the Commission may:

• grant approval
• limit the scope of approval with conditions, or
• refuse approval where there are reasons to do so.

If you wish to apply for a Gaming Equipment Approval you must:

• familiarise yourself with our guidance notes.
• complete the Gaming Equipment Approval Application Form OR, if applicable, the Simplified Gaming Equipment Approval Application Form
• ensure that your application and investigation fees (as required) have been paid
• deliver the completed application form and the supporting documentation to the Commission (either by post or by hand).Deliver the completed application form and the supporting documentation to the Commission (either by post or by hand).

If you wish to apply for a Gaming Equipment Approval you must:

• familiarise yourself with our guidance notes
• complete the Gaming Equipment Approval Application Form OR, if applicable, the Simplified Gaming Equipment Approval Application Form
• ensure that your application and investigation fees (as required) have been paid
• deliver the completed application form and the supporting documentation to the Commission (either by post or by hand).

Gaming equipment approval holders should familiarise themselves with the Casino Operations and Control (General) Regulations of 2016, Part VII, section 26.

Gaming suppliers and the ICR operator shall ensure compliance with the Law and Regulations requirements with respect to gaming equipment used in the ICR and further conditions and instructions on gaming equipment including but not limited to operation, testing, layout, speed of play and configurations and connectivity imposed by the Commission from time to time.

No modifications to the gaming equipment or revisions or updates made to the software contained therein may be made (other than minor bug fixes that do not affect the functionality) without prior notification to and approval by the Commission. The Commission further requires a test report that confirms that the modified gaming equipment complies with the technical standards prior to the time the modified gaming equipment is used in the ICR.

The Commission expects that the gaming equipment will be manufactured and operate in a way that does not put the licensing objectives at risk. It expects that gaming equipment will:

• comply with the technical standards requirements in the standards notices issued by the Commission
• comply with the Law and Regulations, and
• be approved or be exempt from approval by the Commission.

The gaming equipment that is used or intended for use in the casino for which approval is required shall be manufactured, installed, tested, inspected, operated, maintained and repaired in accordance with the technical standards and other requirements set out in the Commission’s standards notices relating to that gaming equipment or class of gaming equipment to which it belongs.

The Commission will issue standards notices setting out the required technical standards for gaming equipment or class of gaming equipment. As a minimum, these standards will cover:

• mechanical and electrical reliability
• security against tampering
• ease of understanding use by players
• acceptable noise and light levels
• such standards as it may deemed to be necessary to protect players from fraud or deception and the integrity of the gaming.

The Commission reserves the right to modify or waive any technical standards and requirements it issues, in order to ensure continued game integrity, security of the gaming equipment and protection of the public interest. In such cases, the gaming supplier or the ICR operator will be required to modify their gaming equipment accordingly within the time period imposed by the Commission.