Cyprus will allocate about €210,000 next year to support rehabilitation programmes for people addicted to gambling, according to the 2026 budget of the gaming and casino supervision commission.

The figure, which has hovered around €200,000 in recent years, forms part of the authority’s dedicated gambling addiction rehabilitation fund, financed through three per cent of annual licence fee revenue.

According to an accompanying document, and mentioned by philenews, the fund is embedded in the authority’s wider strategic plan, which falls under the directorate of social protection, responsible gaming and communication.

In practice, this means the money supports a series of interventions ranging from research and prevention to treatment and staff training.

These include conducting studies and designing evidence-based preventive actions, promoting self-protection tools, offering support and treatment services for those with problematic or pathological gambling, and training casino and service-provider employees.

In parallel, and in cooperation with other organisations, the authority helped develop Cyprus’ first unit for minimising the negative consequences of gambling.

This initiative aims to provide a structured response to gambling-related harm, starting with mapping the scale of the problem and identifying risk factors.

It also includes the planning and evaluation of prevention programmes, alongside an assessment of therapeutic and post-treatment needs.

The authority’s overall budget also provides for a series of training and awareness-raising activities.

Around €152,000 is earmarked for personnel training, conferences, seminars and similar events, while €17,000 is set aside for on-site training for the President, board members and staff.

A further €30,000 is budgeted for participation in training programmes abroad.

In addition, €50,000 is allocated for seminars, conferences or workshops held in Cyprus to brief stakeholders on issues such as gambling addiction, and €240,000 is reserved for expert fees.

Meanwhile, casino tax revenue is forecast to continue rising over the next three years, reaching €34.94 million in 2026, €39.13m in 2027 and an estimated €40.30m in 2028.