The Commission

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The Commission

The Commission is the regulator for casino operations in the Republic of Cyprus. We license and regulate both the casino operator and individuals working in the casino industry, including casino employees, machine suppliers, junket operators and those providing test laboratory services.

In addition to licensing and regulating the casino operator and individuals working in the casino industry, we have a duty to protect the public, including vulnerable groups and young people, from the negative effects of casino gaming and to implement appropriate protective measures where necessary.

The Integrated Casino Resort officially opened its doors in July 2023, while operating at the same time satellite casinos in different districts of the Republic of Cyprus with the possibility of their expansion in the near future.

Under this perspective, the Commission continues working towards the direction of becoming a regulator of excellence in Europe by monitoring and improving the new regulatory framework and supervision capability for casino gaming in Cyprus at all times.

Everything we do is underpinned by our statutory objectives.

Statutory objectives

As the regulator, we have a responsibility to :

draft, issue order, instructions and directions to maintain a robust regulatory environment
develop and implement licence application and investigation procedures, fee collection arrangements for employees, junkets and suppliers
supervise the operation of the casino, responsible persons and gaming conduct.
exercise disciplinary powers and apply sanctions where necessary
collaborate and consult with organisations and associations to ensure effective implementation of law and development of player and societal harm prevention and protection
understand illegal gaming and develop proposals to prevent this activity
provide advice to government
to organise our operational activity that reflects best practice and is evidence led; to take a targeted yet innovative approach to regulating; and to use our knowledge and experience to influence and inform public debate
ensure all licensees are focussed on meeting their legal obligations as the minimum standard that we will expect, and are able to demonstrate
ensure that consumers are empowered to make informed choices about casino gaming; confident in knowing and making use of their rights; and to enjoy gaming understanding the risks.

Our principles and values are the foundations of our approach and culture. Whilst the Commission’s internal controls will be designed to protect our integrity and ensure our operational activity is objective and effective, we are dependent upon our people making individual and collective commitment to the values of the Commission working in line with our operating principles.

Illegal casino gaming has none of the safeguards that the licensee and the Commission can provide. We are mindful of the need to address illegal casino gaming and the challenges that tackling this can pose. Whilst our focus will be on illegal offline gaming we will also need to understand the challenges that illegal online gaming brings.

We have adopted a risk-based approach to our work, and expect our licensees to be able to demonstrate the controls and measures that have in place to work in a similar way.

How we work

We have a duty to establish and maintain systems for the licensing, supervision and control of casino gaming to ensure that:

the management and operation of the Casino is conducted by suitable persons and is crime free.
gaming is conducted honestly
the potential harm to society, minors and vulnerable groups is understood and managed.
the casino operator acts in accordance with the Law, licence conditions and directions.
casino tax is assessed and collected.