Cypriot Casinos
Cyprus is an island country situated in the Eastern Mediterranean and has a long and illustrious history of gambling. It is a popular destination for holidaymakers and welcomes a whopping 4 million tourists per year. The casino scene is a huge draw for natives and tourists alike.
It could be said that casinos in Cyprus are out of step with the rest of the gambling world, which has had a dramatic shift towards online since the 1990s. The opposite happened in Cyprus, with a complete ban in online gambling coming into effect in 2012.
- The only legally permitted online gambling in Cyprus is sports betting.
- The ban has been in effect for almost a decade.
If you’re looking to find casinos with Cyprus license, you’ll find yourself struggling, as there are currently no casinos with this kind of license, given the ban that has been in effect for several years now. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t access online casinos
Cypriot Casinos for UK players
Like with any other country where online gambling is illegal by jurisdiction, there are ways and means which will allow you to access Cypriot casinos, despite the supposed legal restrictions. This article will go into detail and point out a rather simple trick to get you gambling.
Whenever online casinos and other forms of online gambling are “outlawed” by jurisdiction, this simply means that it is illegal for casinos to be operated within that country. Online casinos must not be operated from within Cyprus, but it is technically legal to access those based offshore.
- Cypriot-licensed casinos are outlawed, but this doesn’t stop you from playing in other casinos.
- You may have to consider your currency.
Currency
It is very important to think about currency when online gambling is outlawed in the country you wish to play in. While there may be obstacles to consider – such as the worthiness of your conversion rate – the biggest benefit is found in anonymity.
When playing using an offshore account, you might want to consider using a payment method other than your usual bank account. Using an eWallet such as Skrill or Neteller will keep your activity hidden from your bank and allow you to avoid suspicion.
Processing Fees
However, as with anything, there are pros and cons. If you are going to use an eWallet for anonymity in Cyrpus, you might want to consider processing and withdrawal fees. Do the maths and figure out whether they will be worth it when cashing in your winnings.
Other Payment Methods
Many other payment methods are available on online casinos accessible by Cypriot players. Other than eWallets, most casinos accept prepaid cards and cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin). Most also accept credit and debit cards, but we’ve already covered why using those may not be such a good idea.
Bonuses
Sometimes, a casino company may decide to restrict bonuses to certain countries. However, there are several casinos accessible to players in Cyprus that offer bonuses just like they would to any other country. These include the likes of welcome offers, loyalty programmes and match deposits.
It’s also great to note that most online casinos accessible to players in Cyprus make use of free spins or demo mode features. This simply means a player can try for free and work out its odds and gameplay before they gamble with their own money.
- You can enjoy bonuses in Cypriot casinos.
- Remember to “try before you buy”.
Sports Betting
As we mentioned at the start of this article, there is only one type of betting actually legally endorsed by law enforcement in Cyprus. This is a type of gambling known as Sports Betting and the regulations are issued by the National Betting Authority (NBA).
However, the number of sports betting sites permitted for use by the NBA is still small. It amounts to a list of 10 and includes the likes of Winmasters, Sportingbet, Meridian Gaming, or Betfair, all of which are highly regarded in the online gambling world.
Accessing Cypriot Casinos
Earlier in this article, we gave you a simple tip to get around the laws against using online casinos in Cyprus. Now we’re going to go into further detail with a few more pointers to help you get your fix of Cypriot fun.
If you want to gamble but live in Cyprus, you may want to consider installing a VPN Proxy unblocker. These are simple browser extensions in which you can mask or alter your IP address’s location, thereby giving you access to websites banned in your jurisdiction.
- Try using a VPN unblocker.
- These are available for free and easy download from your browser’s add-on store.
Unlicenced Casinos
There will be, of course, casinos available for you to access in Cyprus that are unlicensed. This is yet another option on how you get around the Cypriot laws, but it does not come recommended. In fact, it is a unilaterally bad idea to go down this route.
All the other methods we’ve suggested in this article to get around the obstacles in Cypriot laws on casinos are in fact still legal. Albeit on a technicality, but gambling in an unlicensed casino is definitely illegal and could land you in trouble other than with the law.
Unlicenced Casinos
You need to think about the dangers you could possibly incur if you use an unlicensed casino in Cyrpus, where it is illegal. Aside from problems with the law, you are risking your own money with unlicensed casinos featuring security issues such as dubious payment methods.
Gambling in Cyprus
As we mentioned right at the start of this article, the in-person gambling scene in Cyprus is legal and is set to thrive in the coming years. The City of Dreams, set to open next year, is expected to pull in 300,000 players annually.
Unregulated Games
If you’re looking to play games just for fun (and not for profit), then that seems to be completely fine in Cyprus. These types of games are classed as “unregulated” and are defined by as such by various factors, but ultimately they incur no cost for either party.
Look for a game which has no element of chance, as these skills and competitions are not regulated by law, presumably because they lack any gambling element. Games known as “social” (i.e no monetary prize) are also exemplified from the usual laws, where you play just for fun.
Cypriot Casinos: Conclusion
This article has set out to inform you of the current laws around gambling and online casinos in Cyprus. The main thing to take away from this article is that, as with any obstacles in life, there are ways and means to get around them.
But with gambling, because laws are so technical, there are ways around those obstacles that would be better than others, such as social playing or using offshore providers. We hope this article has been particularly informative and advice to you. Good luck and happy gambling!