NICOSIA, Cyprus, October 1, 2026 – What if technology goes beyond its typical purpose of making gambling easier and instead helps detect the harmful effects of gambling? This issue will be at the centre of attention on Monday, October 12, 2026, when the 9th Safer Gambling Conference takes place in Nicosia, Cyprus.
The conference is organised by the National Betting Authority for the ninth consecutive time. The conference will take place at the Hilton Hotel from 09:00 until 14:30 in the framework of the Safer Gambling Week 2026. Regulators, scholars, scientists, practitioners and gamblers will meet at this event with the aim to discuss various issues related to player protection.
The theme of this year’s conference, “The Future of Player Protection: Shaping a More Sustainable Gambling Industry Through Innovation”, puts emphasis on the importance of the combination of modern technology and scientific research as well as regulations.
The event will highlight the importance of early recognition of harmful gambling behaviours. Independent researcher Michael Auer will be making a presentation about an analysis of actual player behaviour data, indicators of harm and individual feedback. Christina Savvouri from company Mindway AI will investigate a possibility of applying the knowledge from neuroscience, psychology and artificial intelligence for the purpose of earlier risk detection.
However, the conference will not be limited to issues faced by licensed gambling operators. The illegal gambling sector will also be a focus of attention, specifically regarding trends, enforcement challenges, and the potential use of various tools for detecting illegal gambling activities.
Finally, the agenda will also include issues of psychological and biological reasons for gambling behaviour as well as developing situation in the EU.
The meeting is organized in line with the preparation for a large-scale Safer Gambling Week in Cyprus from the 12th of October to the 18th of October in 2026. The week will focus on activities that promote awareness and education. The special importance of the week will be given to youngsters and vulnerable groups.
In accordance with the Betting Law of 2019, the NBA is in charge of licensing, regulating, and supervising gambling in Cyprus, and it has come to the conclusion that player protection is one of the important issues in this field.
That is why the thematic aspect of the conference held on the 12th of October will be of greater importance than gambling itself. It has become important to work not only on regulating gambling but also on the best practices for using early technology to prevent gambling problems.
