Before 2012, all forms of gambling were completely illegal in Cyprus, where illegal gambling and unlicensed gambling operations were punishable by law, and both gamblers and operators were prosecuted and fined by authorities. In 2012, Cyprus passed the Betting Law, which required gambling operators to obtain a license from the National Betting Authority in order to offer their services. The Betting Law also made all forms of online gambling in Cyprus completely illegal. The only exemption is OPAP, a state-run lottery that offers sports betting as well.

If a company wants to start a gambling operating in Cyprus, they have to acquire one of two betting licenses, and additionally need to have a physical presence in the form of an office or gambling establishment in the country, or enter a partnership with a Cyprus company. The Class A license is meant for land-based betting establishments that demand a physical presence in the country or a partnership with a local company. The Class B license concerns online sports betting operations, where all types of horse race betting are entirely prohibited. This leaves online sports betting the only legal form of online gambling in all of Cyprus.

While all gambling was illegal before 2012, after the passing of the Betting Law, online casino gambling became almost exclusively the only outlawed form of gambling. The new casino gambling laws did not include online casinos, while online sports betting was still regarded legal. There have even been reports that both players and operators were arrested or fined for actions related to online gambling. Foreign online gambling sites are usually blocked by the country’s internet service providers. However, there are some international online casinos that are not blocked by ISPs, where players from Cyprus can play their favorite games.

The government and especially the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Authority have made sure to block and blacklist as many foreign and offshore online gambling sites and online casinos as possible. Players who decide to ignore the law and play at one of these websites risk being prosecuted and fined, so it is advised to stay clear of online casinos.