Cyprus casinos: myth or reality?
Gambling dates back in ancient times and is now widespread wherever people are. There is no country in the world where locals do not play cards, dice, backgammon or any other kind of gambling. And Cyprus is no exception.
In the recent past, the gambling business in Cyprus flourished. The mentality of the Cypriots, locals and tourists spent a lot of money in casinos and bookmakers. The owners of gambling halls were the richest people on the earth, while gamblers returned home with empty pockets or even with big debts.
Nobody could imagine that something can destroy this idyllic, however, one day deputies passed a law to ban gambling on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
It is believed that the politicians decided to do it to protect locals, since among Cypriots gambling addiction has become a 'national disease', which means it is the national catastrophe.
The law did not ban bookmakers thus they survived and even did not suffer. You can find bookmakers such as "OPAP", or "Mega Bet" in every city and in almost every village.
While casinos on the recognized Cyprus territory suffer from a bank, gambling in the north flourished as there were no restrictions. More recently, the government of Cyprus has begun issuing licenses to construct large casinos and several gambling facilities have opened in recent years. Others are under construction.
City of Dreams Mediterranean
This is not a simple casino, but a whole resort complex for wealthy tourists from all over the world. It is assumed that the opening of the complex in 2021 will be a grand event for the entire EU, since there are simply no casino projects of this level in Europe. €550,000,000 was invested in the construction of the complex.
The President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades personally approved the opening of the City of Dreams. They plan to build a five-star hotel with 500 rooms, exclusive penthouses for facility visitors, a number of bars and restaurants, a shopping center and a large conference hall, as well as a huge number of all kinds of boutiques, markets and eateries.
The casino will have a hall with 1,200 slot machines of all kinds, as well as a roulette wheel, 136 poker and blackjack tables, and they all will be of the highest quality.
Now the complex is actively recruiting employees, the list of vacancies is posted on the company's website. A facility of this level requires about 2,500 staff to maintain, so this may be good news for those who lost their jobs during COVID-19. The casino will be located near the old port of Limassol, where cruise ships are constantly calling, which also plays into the hands of the casino. It is only 30 minutes drive from Paphos airport and about 50 minutes from Larnaca airport.
According to the government of the Republic of Cyprus, the casino will increase the country's GDP and additionally attract about 300,000 tourists a year.
Cyprus Casinos - C2
It is a network of casino gambling halls located in Paphos, Ayia Napa, Limassol and Nicosia. The main focus is on slot machines. Each facility has a guarded parking lot, inside there is a bar and a kitchen, friendly staff. There are roulette and poker tables in Limassol. Facility visitors usually gather here in the late afternoon.
Melco has transformed the former Orphanides Supermarket in Limassol into a luxurious temporary casino within just a couple of months, and it is planned to be relocated to City of Dreams Mediterranean later.
The total area of the temporary casino is 4,600 m2, 1,000 people can visit it at once. The casino has 33 blackjack tables, 242 slot machines and, of course, restaurants.
Also, a small C2 office has been operating at Larnaca airport since December 2018. There are 42 slot machines located here, distributed in the departure area, accessible only to departing passengers, as well as in the arrival area, which is open to all comers.
It should be noted that in addition to 'live' gambling halls, there are also online casinos which became very popular in Cyprus. One of the most famous such casino is Vulkan Vegas based in Limassol:
Vulkan Vegas
This company specializes in online games. Slots, card games, roulettes, all kinds of slots, video poker and much more. The company provides new players with numerous bonuses and cashbacks, and also provides an affiliate program to those who may be interested in it. Payment is made through e-payments, including bitcoin.
Bookmaker Companies in Cyprus
In addition to the casino itself, a large number of bookmakers operate in Cyprus. All kinds of sports bets are accepted here: horse racing, football, basketball, tennis, handball, billiards, ping-pong, boxing, mixed martial arts, racing and much more. We all have seen them in our cities: OPAP, CyBet, StanleyBet, MegaBet, AlfaBet, Parimatch. Many visitors make small bets for the sake of interest, while others play constantly and for high stakes.
Despite the fact that at the moment the Republic of Cyprus cannot bear the proud name of Mediterranean Las Vegas, the country is slowly but surely moving towards softening the gambling law and making it easier for gambling companies to obtain a license. Whoever wants to play can already do it quite legally and comfortably!
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