A host of experts and professionals will be discussing modern challenges and new approaches at Cyprus 9th Safer Gambling Conference on October 12 in Nicosia, titled ‘The Future of Player Protection: Shaping a More Sustainable Gambling Industry Through Innovation’.

The conference will examine ways in which scientific knowledge, regulation, technology and innovation can contribute towards forming a safer and more sustainable environment for gamblers.

Disy MP and former health minister Giorgos Pamboridis and Akel MP Andreas Pasiourtides will be leading the closing fireside chat on the future of gambling in Cyprus and its connection to public health.

The conference, opening at 9am and closing at 2pm, is organised by the National Gambling Authority in the framework of Safer Gambling Week 2026, to inform and cultivate awareness among gamblers and the public regarding safer gambling.

The programme is divided into themes and discussions concerning regulating damage linked to gambling, psychological and biological parameters impacting risk taking, developments in Europe and strengthening the protection of gamblers.

Emphasis will be given to the illegal market, with discussions revolving around modern trends, challenges faced by the authorities and the possibilities of utilising data and other tools to trace and address illegal activity.

Safer Gambling Week 2026 includes a series of actions to cultivate a more conscious and responsible approach to betting and gambling, particularly protecting young people and vulnerable groups.

The closing fireside chat will focus on the future of gambling in Cyprus and its link to public health, and the ways in which the state can form a modern and effective regulatory framework will be discussed.

Particular emphasis will be placed on the spread of illegal online gambling and the promotion of material on social media platforms, with National Gambling Authority data showing nine in ten people aged 18 to 35 having been exposed to gambling material on social media.

Participants will also examine how harmful consequences from gambling can be addressed as a matter of public health, focusing on prevention, timely intervention and access to support services.

In this context, the role of Gesy will be discussed alongside the role of the family in supporting individuals who are facing problems linked to gambling.

Gambling advertising and funding are also on the agenda, with the aim of investigating how young people and vulnerable groups can be protected, taking into account the role they play in funding sports events.