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Cyprus’ National Betting Authority (NBA) has praised the impact of its “Safer Gambling Strategy” following the publication of a long-awaited prevalence study.
The “Gambling and Problem Gambling In The Republic Of Cyprus 2022” study found that 55 percent of Cypriots have gambled in the past year, while the problem gambling rate is 1.5 percent.
Ioanna Fiakkou, president of the NBA, said at a press conference discussing the findings that they are of “major importance for outlining the profile of the Cypriot player and for planning policies and initiatives, based on documented data”.
The results of comparable prevalence studies are similar, according to the findings, such as in France where the rate is 1.6 percent and in Australia where it is 1.2 percent.
“Having at our disposal the Safer Gambling Strategy which is based on the public health approach and the results of the all-Cyprus prevalence survey, we are able to implement comprehensive policies aimed at the sustainable development of the gaming industry while protecting society and especially the vulnerable population groups,” Fiakkou said.
The prevalence survey will now be used as an evidence-base for future reference and for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Safer Gambling Strategy, the regulator said.
Last year, officials in the country said they had switched to a public health approach to minimising gambling-related harms.
This new approach resulted in the NBA announcing a raft of safer gambling best practices in its rules for online bookmakers, which covers the information available to consumers to promote responsible gambling, requirements for safer gambling tools, stake and deposit limits and improving safeguards to prevent underage gambling.
Measures taken by the NBA received praise from the speaker of the House of Representatives in Cyprus when they met in October 2022 and discussed regulatory responsibilities, the impact of the licensing system and ongoing research projects.
Cyprus’ health minister Michael Hadjipantela, also attended the launch of the country’s fifth annual Safer Gambling Week on October 3, 2022.
Other findings in the prevalence study included that the most popular game of chance in Cyprus is the lottery, with 49.5 percent having played in the last year, followed by sports betting at 10.2 percent.
Among high-risk gamblers, the most popular types of games are sports betting at 75.3 percent, followed by lottery at 72 percent and casino/slot machines at 33.3 percent.
The study was commissioned by the NBA and undertaken by GREO Evidence Insights and Insights Market Research.
The data in the study was collected from questionnaire responses via telephone interviews between November 11, 2022, and December 30, 2022.
