Looks like offering online casino games is being regarded a crime these days and banned in different countries, and Cyprus is the next to follow suit as it freezes the very proposition of online gambling. Ionas Nicolaou, Chairperson of the House Legal Affairs Committee stated that their aim was to completely examine the bill by the first week of July, so that it could be sent to the European Union for scrutiny.

He also expressed that they were faced with a new problem which they had least expected. SAKOP, the non-government organization, has been stating for quite some time that the regulated process for the preparation of the bill had not been properly followed up by the government. The House Legal Affairs Committee has asked the state to complete the talks and consultations within the next fortnight.

According to a European Union directive, prior to any bill being prepared there must be a public consultation and an impact study on the repercussions of any proposed legislation. SAKOP, an organization that deals with social problems and has been inflexible about proper procedure, even lodged a complaint with the Ombudswoman of Cyprus condemning Charilaos Stavrakis the Finance Minister, of not going by the Consultation Guide. SAKOP also expressed that there were no provision for families with problem gamblers, and for those who were addicted to gambling. Online gambling in Cyprus is making over €2.5 billion a year and is regulated by the Betting Law, which was amended in 2007, to adhere to the rules and regulations laid down by the EU, for the free provision of services across borders. There is a proposal to amend the law again to eliminate electronic gambling from the list of services available.