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Christofidou also floated the idea of issuing GMI recipients with a special card for in-person verification at gambling venues, but several MPs warned this could stigmatise welfare recipients.
Current gambling legislation restricts participation for minors and those classified as “financially vulnerable”. However, GMI recipients are not yet formally classified as such for the purpose of these regulations.
The NBA has operated a online self-exclusion scheme since 2024. It requires users to register with a mobile number, email address and ID. Since around 80% of gambling in Cyprus happens online, this route offers a far easier way to identify and exclude claimants than monitoring anonymous betting at physical outlets.
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Van Lancker said the merger would combine the strengths of both businesses to create a larger and more diversified company with “greater scale and enhanced capabilities” to accelerate growth and create value.
The enlarged group could deliver up to €4 billion in capital returns over the three years following the completion of the deal.
Cirsa has followed an aggressive acquisition strategy in recent years, most recently entering the land-based casino market in Portugal by acquiring a majority stake in Sociedade Figueira Praia, S.A., the owner and operator of Casino Figueira.
What is scratch cards?
Platforms were generally constructed for one person operating one account, rather than trading organisations requiring separate permissions and controls. According to Gonzalez, some teams still share a single login.
“Whether it’s a 10-person or 100-person fund, they log in through the same Google email and share the same login credentials, which makes no sense,” he said.
ParlayX is developing individual logins, delegated permissions and subaccounts for such teams. Other gaps include unified execution across exchanges, prime brokerage and common resolution standards.