In just over a year since the Melco-backed Cyprus Casinos started operating on the island they are expecting to register one-million-customer-benchmark next month.
Craig Ballantyne, the Property President of Cyprus Casinos (C2) said, “we have recorded more than 880,000 visits from various countries and expect to reach one million in early August”.
He was speaking at a press conference to celebrate the first anniversary since Cyprus Casinos opened the island’s first authorities casino in Limassol last year.
“C2 Limassol accounts for approximately 710,000 visits, while recently opened C2 Nicosia accounted for 130,000 visits and C2 Larnaca for 40,000,” said Ballantyne.
“After one year of operation, we are already employing more than 800 people, the vast majority of them being Cypriot citizens,” he added.
Cyprus Casinos celebrated its first year of successful operations which commenced with the launch of the C2 Limassol “temporary casino” on 28 June 2018, that also marked the first licensed casino to open its doors in Cyprus.
The first satellite casinos, C2 Nicosia and C2 Larnaca, opened in December 2018 while C2 Ayia Napa located in the heart of the resort is to open this month and C2 Paphos in the Yeroskipou tourist area, is preparing to welcome its first visitors by the end of the year.
In addition, the pioneering City of Dreams Mediterranean Integrated Casino Resort (ICR) in Limassol – the first of its kind in Europe – is scheduled to open in late 2021.
In collaboration with the Department of Antiquities in Archaeological Heritage Management, Melco also announced a unique CSR initiative that will support on a long-term basis the government’s efforts to sustainably preserve and promote the culture of Cyprus.
This CSR initiative named «Heritage Signs» will actively promote the authenticity of the island’s most significant heritage sites by sponsoring heritage enhancements and information that will significantly improve the tourist experience when visiting these sites in Cyprus.
Chairman and CEO of Melco Group Lawrence Ho said, “I’m extremely happy with our first year of operations here in Cyprus, progress has been swift, and the local economy is already benefitting from the strong partnership we’ve created with CNS Group.
Running a business that operates across Asia, Australia and the UK means we are intently focused within Melco on compliance, and the government of the Republic of Cyprus is setting and maintaining the highest standards in this regard.
That means Cyprus will not only become a destination for premium luxury tourists, but for international investors too.”
Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Vassiliki Anastassiadou, said: “Cyprus Casinos C2 and Melco have already contributed to our economy in various aspects.
We are honoured that Melco’s efforts do not stop in providing entertainment through gaming but take a step further, investing in the development of the economy and stand by the society, by introducing a truly unique and innovative CSR initiative in Cyprus. We believe that this initiative will help to diverse cultural heritage of Cyprus and create an unforgettable learning experience for the visitors to Cyprus.”
