Cyprus conducting first national gambling survey

us, the Mediterranean island nation, will be conducting its first ever extensive survey into the engagement of gambling amongst its citizens, as revealed by the National Betting Authority (NBA) on Monday.

Ioanna Fiakou, Chairwoman of the NBA, made the announcement during a press conference, claiming that player protection and a better understanding of the countries gambling demographics were the main driving forces for the survey.

Fiakou discussed the need for a review and how it would be conducted stating: “The authority has commissioned Insights Market Research (IMR) Ltd to conduct a quantitative survey by interviewing 3,000 individuals, in order to study and investigate the Cypriot public’s extent of participation in games of chance.”

Importantly the inclusion of the phrase ‘games of chance’ leaves the review open ended in terms of the scope of games which will be reviewed.

Personal interviews will be set up for 25 October and finish at the end of December. Individuals from various age groups including 13-17 years old will be randomly selected to form the 3,000 person survey.

Chairwoman Fiakou added: “The survey’s goals focus on recording the extent of participation in gambling activities, identifying the extent of problematic participation among the public, studying gamblers’ social and demographic traits, the frequency with which they engage in gambling and their budgeted and real spending in gambling”.

It is unclear as of yet what the survey may reveal or how the NBA might use the information to shape future laws and regulations surrounding the Cypriot gaming industry.