CYPRUS CRACKDOWN

2 October 2007

No internet gambling on cafe computers say authorities


The Municipality of Paphos on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is planning a blitz on shops and cafes which they claim have illegally converted themselves into illegal cybercasinos, island media reports claim..

Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas told reporters this week he was “very concerned” with the latest developments and is set to meet with police officials to discuss the matter. Vergas claims that many shops and cafes have converted their business PCs into “mini-casinos” by allowing customers to play on illegal online betting machines. He did not stipulate which gambling sites were involved.

According to the municipality, a special permit is required for proprietors to charge the public for Internet access. Municipal officials say that during this year alone, around 20 cafes and shops have been illegally operating as internet cafes encouraging customers to play online casino games.

It is believed that some of the cafes are luring gamblers to play on illegal gambling machines such as Fixed Odds Betting Terminals – computerised machines normally found in betting shops which allow players to bet on the outcome of various games and events with fixed odds.

The most commonly played game is allegedly roulette while others include Spoof, Bingo, Virtual Racing and Triple Disc.

“In the last few months, 22 illegal internet cafes have been discovered close to schools,” said Vergas yesterday.“We have information and complaints that illegal games are being played there.”

The Paphos mayor said his municipality would soon be conducting its own crackdown to stamp out what he described is “a worrying development in the town”.

“The Paphos Municipality will make its own clampdown to determine whether or not the shops and cafes in question have the necessary permits to operate, he said. “We will also be asking the police to check if there is anything illegal going on at these places.”

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