A press conference by the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission was held on Thursday, September 19, at the Journalists’ House, presenting its activities since the beginning of its operation and its plans for the near future. The Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Christos Mavrellis, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Haris Tsangarides in the presence of the Board, referred to the work and mission of the Commission, which has been tasked with the licensing and regulation of the operation of land-based casinos in the Republic of Cyprus. At the same time, in addition to granting the relevant licences and ensuring the implementation of the regulatory environment for the Casino Operator and the individuals working in it, the Commission has the duty of protecting the public from the negative effects of casino gaming and of implementing specific preventive and deterrent measures where necessary.

Responsible gaming plays a primary role in the Commission’s remit. More specifically, that the conduct of casino games is done in a safe, fair and transparent manner; that the persons who decide to take part in casino games have been correctly informed about the risks of participating; that they are able to enjoy gaming with awareness of these risks; and that any negative consequences to minors and vulnerable groups are understood and managed.

As the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Christos Mavrellis stated, “To achieve responsible gaming or safe gaming, it is necessary to ensure the protection of players and the prevention of risks that may threaten the society. For this reason, the Commission has developed the Responsible Gaming Plan which is designed to be based and operated on three (3) levels: the prevention of problematic casino gambling; support in the provision of therapy treatment by the relevant government body; and prevention of illegal gambling.” (His entire speech here)

In the context of the Responsible Gaming Plan, the Commission continued to launch alliances and actions such as its valuable collaboration with the PHAROS Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Problematic and Pathological Gambling; the operation of the free telephone Helpline 1422 for information and support regarding problematic gambling; and the very recent creation and operation of the new website gamblecontrol.com through which the public has the opportunity to self-assess their involvement in gaming with the ultimate goal of making each player aware of the risk of gaming addiction.

The Commission considers that prevention begins with information and for this reason it is currently running a communication campaign with the slogan “Take Control of the Game” by strongly and clearly demonstrating that anyone who participates in games of chance has the opportunity through self-control of their actions to protect themselves from the risk of gambling addiction. Referring to the matter, the CEO, Mr. Haris Tsangarides, emphasized that “The campaign provides an important self-care guide following simple steps which, through their implementation, the player sets limits thus ensuring a healthy, responsible and safe gaming experience. The campaign has an informative and explanatory nature with suggestions for setting simple limits in relation to the method of playing, such as, before entering the casino, the pre-determination of the amount and time of play, and drawing attention to the possibility of the player taking as many breaks as they wish, as well as the fact that they can stop whenever they wish. It is important to highlight the measure of self-exclusion by which the player who considers themselves vulnerable can submit a request in writing that they wish to exclude themselves from the right to play in the casino”. The campaign will continue to be disseminated throughout the year in all mass media.

Referring to numbers, initially the temporary casino in Limassol and later the integrated casino resort, as well as the satellite casinos in Nicosia, Paphos, and Ayia Napa, had over 1,540,724 visits in 2023. A total of 30,810 registrations were made throughout the year, with 26.08% of the registrations being of Cypriot nationality.

The Chairman, the Board members and the staff of the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission underlined that they will interminably and methodically continue to ensure that responsible gaming is conducted honestly and legally, and that licensed casinos comply with the law and adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards.

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The National Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission, which is called the “Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission” was established in accordance with the provisions of the Casino Operation and Control Law of 2015 and the relevant Regulations (124(I)/2015). The Commission is a public law body under the supervision of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, it started its operations in January 2018 and is the regulator of the operation of casinos in the Republic of Cyprus. In addition to granting the relevant licences and ensuring the implementation of the regulatory environment of the Casino Operator and the individuals working in it, the Commission has the duty of protecting the public from the negative consequences of casino games and implementing specific preventive and deterrent measures.