State moves to suspend gambling licences linked to organised crime

Justice Minister Costas Fitiris said on Thursday that the suspension of operating licences held by businesses linked to criminal activity was “a key tool” in the state’s response to organised crime.

He was commenting on the non-renewal of BookieCo’s betting licence, owned by prominent Larnaca businessman, Lazaros Phillipou.

Speaking on Alpha television, Fitiris said he was not aware of the specific reasoning behind the national betting authority’s decision not to renew BookieCo’s licence, but said it was “very likely” connected to recent developments surrounding the company’s owner.

He added that the case highlighted a broader shift in strategy.

“Another path is opening up for legitimate businesses, the operation of which the state has the ability to suspend,” he said.

“This is also a way to hit organised crime.”

The comments followed confirmation by the national betting authority on Wednesday that the operating licence for Bookieco Betting Stores Ltd expired on and would not be renewed.

As of this week, the company is prohibited from offering betting services or through its network of authorised agents.

The decision effectively shuts down the company’s domestic operations and marks a significant escalation in the state’s response to a wave of underworld violence in Larnaca.

While the authority did not explicitly link the refusal to the ongoing criminal investigations, the timing coincides with the arrest and remand of a Phillipou connected to the BookieCo brand.

Philippou is being held in custody in connection with the January shooting in central Larnaca and a broader investigation into interference with judicial proceedings.

Under the betting law of 2019, the authority has wide discretion to revoke or refuse licences based on the “fit and proper” status of a company’s directors and shareholders.

The legal office is expected to monitor any potential appeals, while the betting authority has warned the public that all betting activity at BookieCo premises and its agents is now illegal.

Philippou has featured in a series of recent investigations linked to organised crime in Larnaca.

Court proceedings have connected him to alleged interference in a shooting case outside Larnaca police headquarters, as well as to a wider criminal syndicate accused of operating protection rackets, extortion and violent enforcement.

Those investigations intensified earlier this month after police uncovered videos showing the torture of at least seven people inside a casino in Pyla.

The footage, seized from suspects already on remand, depicts prolonged and systematic abuse and has been described by investigators as among the most disturbing material they have encountered.

Philippou himself was the subject of an attempted assassination attempt last July as a gunman fired 10 shots while he was cycling in the Dromolaxia industrial area.

Authorities believe the criminal group has operated for several years, using violence and intimidation to control security arrangements at entertainment venues and to extract protection money.

Separate proceedings are under way against multiple suspects, while further case files are being prepared.