TRNC Tops World in Casinos Per Capita, CTP’s Özuslu Warns Against Expansion

Speaking at the Assembly regarding the proposed amendments to the Games of Chance Law, Özuslu recalled that Education Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu opposed opening casinos within 100 meters of schools. He questioned whether the minister’s views were considered during the bill’s preparation and warned about the potential long-term impact of casinos located so close to educational institutions.

Using international figures to underscore his point, Özuslu stated that worldwide there are approximately 2,500 to 3,000 licensed casinos. “We may not know the exact population of the TRNC, but we know the number of casinos—it currently stands at 33,” he said.

Özuslu compared the TRNC’s situation with global examples, highlighting that Macau, a region famous for gambling, with a population of 700,000 within China’s 1.5 billion people, has only 47 licensed casinos. He cautioned that the bill could outpace Macau by granting licenses for large-scale 5-star casinos with up to 750 beds, despite existing quotas restricting casino openings outside areas like Bafra.

Further comparisons included Germany, with 80 casinos serving 84 million people—roughly one casino per 1.05 million residents—and the United Kingdom, where about 100 casinos serve 70 million people (one per 690,000 residents). Switzerland’s 9 million population has only 20 casinos, Austria’s 27 million has 20, Brazil’s 212 million has one, and Luxembourg’s 672,000 population has only one casino. Israel has one casino for 10 million people, Norway has seven for 5.5 million, Greece eight for 10 million, and Russia 18 for 146 million. Turkey, with 84 million citizens, has no casinos.

Özuslu criticized the current situation in the TRNC, calling the presence of 33 casinos “unacceptable” and warned that the proposed law would increase their number further. He urged lawmakers not to allow the island to be “filled with casinos,” cautioning that the island’s limited land and coastal areas are already under pressure.

“Tourism cannot be developed by relying solely on casinos,” Özuslu concluded. “The country’s economy cannot be built on gambling alone. This law risks turning even military zones into commercialized areas, which threatens the future of the TRNC.”