Cyprus Licensed Casinos

There's no such thing as a Cyprus-licensed online casino, and there never has been. Online casino gambling, meaning slots, roulette, blackjack, and live-dealer tables played over the internet, is illegal in the Republic of Cyprus, and no license category exists for it. Cyprus does regulate two narrow slices of the gambling industry. These are online sports betting and a single land-based casino resort. Neither one covers what most people picture when they search this phrase. This page covers what Cyprus actually licenses, where "Cyprus casino" sites really get licensed, and what to check before you sign up anywhere.

Is There Such a Thing as a "Cyprus-Licensed" Online Casino?

No.

Online casino games can't be legally offered in Cyprus, full stop. No operator can hold a Cyprus license covering slots, roulette, blackjack, or live-dealer play, because Cyprus law doesn't create that license category in the first place. This trips people up because they assume online casino licensing works everywhere the way it works in Malta or Curaçao, where a specific regulator hands out a specific badge for exactly this product. Cyprus took a different route. It licenses parts of gambling, sports betting online and one physical casino, and leaves online casino games outside the regulated system entirely. Search "Cyprus licensed casino" and you'll find sites implying a license the country has never issued and, under current law, can't issue.

What Cyprus Actually Regulates: Sports Betting vs the One Legal Casino

Cyprus splits gambling oversight two ways, and neither way includes online casino games. The National Betting Authority issues Class B licenses for online sports betting under Betting Law 37(I)/2019, and that law is specific about scope: it covers wagers on sporting events and stops there. Separately, the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission (CGCSC), often called the Cyprus Gaming Commission, regulates exactly one land-based casino operation under the Casino Control Law of 2015. Those two bodies don't overlap, and neither one was ever built with an online casino floor in mind. Search Cyprus's statute book for online casino games, and there's nothing there.

Regulator	What it licenses	What it leaves out
National Betting Authority	Online sports betting, Class B, Betting Law 37(I)/2019	Online casino games
CGCSC	One land-based casino resort, Casino Control Law 2015	Online casino, online betting

Two regulators, two narrow lanes.

Neither body has ever issued, or is legally able to issue, a license for an online casino operating into or out of Cyprus.

City of Dreams Mediterranean — Cyprus's Only Legal Casino Resort

The one legal casino in Cyprus is a physical building, not a website.

City of Dreams Mediterranean opened in Limassol's Zakaki district in June 2023, run by Melco Resorts under the exclusive license the CGCSC granted for one integrated resort. Four smaller satellite casinos operate under the same framework elsewhere on the island. All of them are locations you walk into; none of them come with a login screen. The license that permits City of Dreams' slot floor and tables stops at the building's doors, and nothing in the Casino Control Law extends that permission online. If you've seen a site using the City of Dreams name to sell online play, that's marketing borrowing a real brand for a product the brand doesn't offer.

So Where Do "Cyprus Casino" Sites Actually Get Licensed?

Somewhere else, almost always Curaçao or Malta.

The offshore online casinos that market themselves to Cyprus-based players typically hold a Curaçao eGaming license, a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) license, or both. Cyprus doesn't approve, endorse, or supervise any of them for casino play. Using "Cyprus" in a domain name, a review headline, or ad copy doesn't change who actually regulates the site. A casino can be perfectly legitimate under Curaçao or MGA rules and still have zero regulatory connection to Cyprus, and both things can be true at once. "Markets to Cyprus" and "licensed by Cyprus" are not the same claim, and only one of them is ever true.

What a Cyprus-Based Player Should Check Before Signing Up

Start with the license.

Find the actual regulator named in the footer, whether that's Curaçao, the MGA, or somewhere else, and check the license number against that regulator's own public register instead of trusting a badge image that anyone can copy. The same principle carries over to picking safe casinos generally. A few checks are worth running before a deposit goes anywhere near a new site.

• Confirm the license number on the regulator's own website, never just on the casino's page.
• Check that the license class actually covers online casino games; some cover sports betting only.
• Read the withdrawal terms up front, since that's when the fine print usually starts to matter.
• Set a deposit limit before you play, and treat it as fixed once it's set.

Gambling should stay entertainment, wherever it's licensed. Curaçao- and MGA-licensed operators are both required to offer deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion tools. Setting one before your first deposit beats trying to remember it once the site already has your card on file. Online gambling is meant for adults aged 18 or over only. If play ever stops feeling like entertainment, that's the cue to use those tools, and using them is simply part of playing responsibly.

FAQ

Is online casino gambling illegal in Cyprus?

Yes. Cyprus law has no license category covering online casino products such as slots, roulette, or live-dealer tables, so no operator can hold a Cyprus license for them.

What does a Cyprus Class B license actually cover?

Online sports betting only, issued by the National Betting Authority under Betting Law 37(I)/2019. It doesn't extend to casino games of any kind.

Can I play at City of Dreams Mediterranean online?

No. City of Dreams Mediterranean is a land-based resort in Limassol, licensed under the Casino Control Law 2015, and its games are only available on-site.

If a site says it's "Cyprus licensed," is that true?

Not for casino games, since that license doesn't exist. The claim usually signals that the operator markets to Cyprus players, not that Cyprus regulates the site.

Where are the offshore casinos that target Cyprus players actually licensed?

Most hold a Curaçao eGaming license, an MGA license, or both. Check the license number against the regulator's own register before trusting it.

Does any of this mean a Cyprus resident is breaking the law by playing at an offshore casino?

Cyprus regulates online sports betting and one physical casino, nothing else, and any site claiming a "Cyprus casino license" for online play is describing something that doesn't exist under current law. Check the real regulator, confirm the license number yourself, and keep it to entertainment money you can afford to lose.