Lawmakers and regulators in Cyprus are currently engaged in discussions aimed at preventing recipients of the Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) from utilizing state welfare payments for gambling activities.
Locally known as EEE, the GMI is defined as a "residual payment to guarantee a legal minimum income for all residents." It provides financial assistance to anyone living in Cyprus whose income is insufficient to meet basic needs.
Cyprus isn’t alone in considering restrictions on welfare recipients regarding gambling. Brazil implemented a ban on such practices in 2025.
During a recent session of the House Audit Committee, members of parliament, along with the Data Protection Commissioner and representatives from the Welfare Benefits Administration Service (WBAS), the Gaming & Casino Supervision Commission, and the National Betting Authority (NBA), explored options for monitoring and limiting gambling among GMI beneficiaries, as reported by Cyprus Mail.
The aim is to safeguard vulnerable households and ensure that welfare payments are allocated towards essential needs. However, proposed initiatives face significant challenges related to legal, technical, and privacy concerns.
Harris Tsangarides, the executive director of the Gaming & Casino Supervision Commission, noted an increase in gambling activity that coincides with GMI payment dates. This trend has led the regulator to consider implementing a “technical solution” to cross-reference lists of GMI beneficiaries with casino membership records.
Giannis Vasiliadis, the director of WBAS, pointed out that access to recipients’ banking information is quite limited. While the available data might indicate questionable behavior, it falls short of definitively verifying gambling-related transactions.
Maria Christofidou, the Data Protection Commissioner, mentioned that her office reevaluated a previous legal opinion from 2022 and identified a possible legal basis for improved access to banking information.
Concerns were raised by various MPs regarding the potential for privacy violations and the social stigma attached to the sharing of such data.
Christofidou also proposed issuing special cards for GMI recipients to facilitate in-person verification at gambling venues. Nevertheless, several MPs cautioned that this approach might further stigmatize those on welfare.
Current gambling laws prohibit participation by minors and those deemed financially vulnerable, but GMI recipients are not formally classified as such under these regulations at this point.
The NBA has operated an online self-exclusion program since 2024, requiring users to register using a mobile number, email address, and ID. Given that approximately 80% of gambling activities in Cyprus occur online, this method presents a more straightforward means to identify and exclude claimants than monitoring anonymous gambling at physical locations.
