Cypriote Casino and Card Room Gaming

There are many casinos in the Turkish-controlled northern section of the island. The casino industry of Cyprus is closely tied to its resort business.

The government of Greek Cyprus does not prohibit its citizens from gambling at casinos on the Turkish side of the island. In March 2016, the House Plenum approved regulations for the first casino on the Greek southern side of the island.

That process led to the development of City of Dreams Mediterranean in Limassol, which opened with a soft launch on 12 June 2023 and officially on 10 July 2023, featuring a 7,500 m² casino floor with more than 100 tables and 1,000 slot machines and a 500-room hotel. The ICR Cyprus license runs for 30 years from 2017, of which the first 15 years are exclusive; Melco’s C2-branded satellite casinos in Nicosia, Larnaca, Ayia Napa and Paphos operate under the same license.

In March 2009, the Turkish Cypriot government passed a new law that raised licensing fees for casinos and imposed tighter regulatory controls to combat money laundering.