Fishing Party

What is Fishing Party?

Cyprus is not the first market to consider whether to block its welfare recipients from using their benefits to gamble, Brazil introduced a similar ban in 2025.

During a session of the House Audit Committee last Thursday, members of parliament (MPs), the Data Protection Commissioner and representatives from the Welfare Benefits Administration Service (WBAS), the Gaming & Casino Supervision Commission and the National Betting Authority (NBA) convened to discuss ways to identify and restrict gambling activity among GMI beneficiaries, as reported by Cyprus Mail.

While the intention is to protect vulnerable households and ensure welfare is spent on essential needs, proposed measures are being complicated by legal, technical and privacy obstacles.

What is Fishing Party?

Operating profit rose to €227.7 million, up from €220.6 million, while profit for the period reached €234.2 million, compared to €229.6 million a year earlier. 

The company attributed this positive financial momentum to growth within its digital channels. 

Digital gross gaming revenue represented 64.5% of the parent company’s total in H1, up 3.6 percentage points from the previous year.

What is Fishing Party?

Before betting, they accepted personal responsibility provided that information was clear. 

During immersive play, however, they wanted operators to take a more active role, through mechanisms such as pop-ups and reality checks.

After play, some looked to banks or regulatory bodies for oversight on total spend across platforms.