Cyprus government introduces online gambling blacklist

The Cyprus government has ramped up its enforcement measures against online gambling, giving teeth to its parliamentary decision last year to outlaw online gambling from all but the Greek state monopoly OPAP.

The Mediterranean island’s National Betting Authority has compiled a blacklist of around 270 illegal online gambling sites, directing the country’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to clock these domains from access by Cypriots punters within 72 hours.

Non-compliance with the order is punishable by fines of up to Euro 30,000.

The black list contains some familiar major companies and their websites, including Bwin.Party Digital, Betfair and William Hill, along with a slew of lesser known but well-established online casino websites licensed in far-flung jurisdictions like the Netherlands Antilles.

Many of the major European companies on the list will experience little additional impact, having already pulled out the Greek and Cyprus markets.

Ironically, whilst the government strives to selectively stamp out non-OPAP internet operators, some of its members and opposition parties are agitating for the legalisation of land-based gambling on the island such as casinos.

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