In 2026, the only form of online gambling legal in the Republic of Cyprus is online sports betting offered by operators holding a Class B licence from the National Betting Authority (NBA). Online casinos, slots, online poker and betting exchanges remain illegal for operators targeting Cyprus, so the many offshore or crypto “casino” sites you may see advertised are not licensed here. Individual sports-betting winnings are not taxed (though OPAP lottery prizes above EUR 5,000 carry a withholding), and the main tax burden sits with operators. Cryptocurrency is legal to hold and trade under EU MiCA rules but is not a recognised, lawful payment method for regulated gambling in Cyprus.

Cyprus runs a deliberately narrow regime. Under the Betting Law (originally 2012, consolidated as Law 37(I)/2019), the NBA licenses two categories: Class A for land-based betting shops and Class B for online betting. A Class B licence explicitly excludes slot machines, online casino games of chance and online horse-race betting. In practice that means you can legally bet online on sports with an NBA-licensed bookmaker, but online roulette, blackjack, slots and poker are outside the law. Draw-based lottery and numerical games are handled separately through OPAP’s exclusive concession, not by the NBA.

Licensed vs offshore sites

The distinction matters for your protection. Licensed Class B operators are audited, contribute to problem-gambling funds, and are bound by Cypriot consumer and anti-money-laundering rules. Offshore sites accepting Cypriot players, including crypto-first casinos, operate outside that framework, meaning no local recourse if a withdrawal is refused or an account is closed. The NBA publicly warns against illegal betting and blocks unlicensed sites, so always confirm an operator against the NBA’s public Class B register before depositing.

Payments

Regulated Cypriot bookmakers use conventional, traceable methods: debit and credit cards, bank transfers and mainstream e-wallets, all subject to KYC identity checks. Because online casino play is illegal, there is no lawful regulated channel for casino-style crypto deposits in Cyprus.

Where does crypto fit?

Cryptocurrency itself is legal in Cyprus to buy, hold and trade. It is not legal tender. Crypto-asset service providers are supervised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and must align with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA); the national transitional period runs to 1 July 2026, with providers required to have applied for MiCA authorisation by 27 February 2026. However, legality of the asset does not make crypto a lawful gambling rail: the sites that accept crypto for casino play fall in the prohibited online-casino category, so using them means gambling with an unlicensed operator.

Taxes on winnings

Good news for most players: Cyprus does not tax individual winnings from licensed sports betting, and Class B operators are not required to withhold or report tax on them. There is one exception, under the 2012 law taxing OPAP and state-lottery profits: winnings from OPAP games and the state lottery are taxed at 20% on the portion of a single prize exceeding EUR 5,000, deducted at source before you are paid. The broader fiscal load is on operators, who pay a 10% betting tax on net revenue plus a mandatory NBA contribution levy. In December 2024 lawmakers approved raising that levy from 3% toward 4.5% of operators’ net revenue, with the extra funds earmarked to support Cypriot football clubs.

Safer gambling and getting help

A share of the operator levy funds gambling-harm programmes. The NBA runs the national Safer Gambling service, which offers self-assessment tools, self-exclusion and treatment referrals at safergambling.gov.cy. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, help is free and confidential.

Gambling should be entertainment, never a way to make money. You must be 18+ to bet in Cyprus. If it stops being fun, use the tools above and reach out.

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