Cyprus Illegal Gambling Push: NBA Eyes AI Player Protection as Blocking List Passes 22,600

Cyprus's betting regulator used its annual Safer Gambling Conference in Nicosia on 12 October 2026 to call for a tougher line on Cyprus illegal gambling and for technology, including artificial intelligence, to catch harmful play earlier. Behind the speeches, the measures that exist on paper are narrower: a blocking list of more than 22,600 websites and a 2026 action plan that extends self-exclusion to betting shops.

The National Betting Authority (NBA) regulates sports betting under the Betting Law 37(I)/2019. Online casino games are banned outright. The island's land-based casino resort falls under a separate body, the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission, and was not part of this debate.

What was said, and by whom

This was a conference, not a bill or a formal decision. The 9th Safer Gambling Conference opened the ninth Safer Gambling Week (12–18 October), run under the slogan "Play within limits. Play safely."

Trisokkas told the audience that a well-regulated market is a precondition for a sustainable one, according to the Cyprus Mail. Keravnos's text, which the finance ministry published afterward, warned about the reach of gambling advertising and online content among children and young adults.

How much of the AI push is real

The AI element is aspirational so far. Conference panels covered how AI and data analysis could flag risky behavior sooner, and Keravnos welcomed that focus, saying such tools could help regulators understand emerging risks. Mindway AI, one of the invited speakers, sells this kind of early-warning analysis to operators and has partnered with BetComply on compliance tools.

The NBA's own Strategic Plan 2026–2028 does not mention artificial intelligence. It commits more generally to "emerging technologies," a framework for data submission and analysis, and better risk prediction. No AI requirement for operators, procurement or timetable has been published.

The concrete tools: blocking and penalties

The NBA's main weapon against unlicensed sites is the blocking list it publishes on its website, which it updates every quarter.

The penalties come from Article 79 of the Betting Law, as set out in an NBA warning on illegal online casinos that also flagged social media ads using celebrities' images without consent. Blocking is a familiar approach across Europe; Lithuania tightened its domain blocking in 2025 and the Danish Gambling Authority relies on it too. Cyprus police also act on the ground, as in the Paphos illegal gambling arrests.

A broader fix is still pending. Trisokkas said in November 2025 that the NBA had drafted a new bill taking a "holistic" approach to the illegal market, including licensing for business-to-business suppliers. The strategic plan says it would go to public consultation; Gamingo found no public record of it being tabled in parliament.

Self-exclusion moves to betting shops

The most specific player-protection commitment is an extension of the National Self-Exclusion Platform. Launched in February 2024, it covers all licensed online (Class B) bookmakers. The 2026 action plan lists its expansion to land-based betting services, along with stronger treatment programs and targeted measures for young adults. No start date has been given.

The youth focus rests on an NBA survey from July 2026 of 1,000 people. According to the Cyprus Mail's account of the minister's speech, 93% of respondents aged 18 to 35 said social media had shown them gambling material over the previous 12 months. Paid betting or casino ads reached 89%, and influencer promotions 77%.

The licensed market keeps growing

The calls for caution come as legal betting expands. NBA data show:

*Q1 online figure as reported by the Cyprus Mail.

The NBA's Q2 report gives conflicting growth rates for land-based gross gaming revenue (5% in one passage, 18% in another), so that number should be treated with care. Earlier figures are in our report on Cyprus betting growth in Q3 2023 and in Lucky Lou's look at the Cyprus iGaming market blueprint.

What to watch

• Publication of the draft gambling bill for consultation, and whether it reaches parliament.
• A start date for land-based self-exclusion.
• Any NBA guidance or requirement on data-driven harm detection by licensed operators.

Until then, Cyprus's AI-driven player protection remains a direction of travel, while site blocking and the self-exclusion platform do the actual work.

Status reviewed on 29 October 2026. Figures are from NBA quarterly reports and its 2026–2028 strategic plan; speech content is from Cyprus Mail and Kiprinform reporting, and the Focus Gaming News article could not be accessed. More regulation news and EMEA coverage.