First casino in the Republic opens its doors

The first casino in the Republic of Cyprus opened its doors Thursday in Limassol on a temporary basis, until the City of Dreams Mediterranean resort goes into operation in 2021.

People in the Republic can now go to Limassol’s “C2” in Zakaki and try their luck without breaking the law.

C2, operated by Cyprus Casinos, is a temporary facility in what used to be the Orphanides Supermarket before it went bankrupt. The mini-casino will shut down when the actual resort opens its doors nearby.

Permanent satellite casinos will also open in other towns, one in Nicosia and one in Paphos later this year and two more in Larnaca and Famagusta by next year, in 2019.

Two years later, in 2021, the actual casino is expected to go into full operation, expected to attract an additional 300,000 tourists annually, boosting tourism in many areas including conferencing and the leisure service industry.

Earlier this month, President Nicos Anastasiades, joined by Melco CEO Lawrence Ho and Melis Shiakolas from the CNS Group, held golden-plated shovels as they laid the foundation stone for the Republic’s first integrated casino resort City of Dreams Mediterranean.