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Cyprus Betting Industry Sees 7% Revenue Growth In Q3 2025 Amid Digital Surge

Robust Market Expansion In Cyprus

The Cyprus betting market continued its upward trajectory in the third quarter of 2025, with aggregate gross revenue from Class A and Class B operators climbing 7% year-on-year to €312.5 million, according to figures released by the National Betting Authority (NBA). This represents a significant 20% increase from the corresponding period in 2023, underscoring robust momentum within the sector.

Online Betting Dominates

During the July to September quarter, online betting remained the primary driver of sector activity. The digital transition reflects broader industry trends, where enhanced technological platforms and a shift in consumer behavior continue to redefine the competitive landscape.

Detailed Revenue Breakdown

Within the market, Class B operators led revenue generation with €235.7 million, while traditional Class A land-based establishments contributed €76.8 million. Notably, although gross revenue for Class A operators slightly dipped 1% compared to Q3 2024, it still posted a 7% improvement over two years. In contrast, Class B revenue surged 10% year-on-year, marking a 25% increase from the same period in 2023.

Player Payouts And Earnings

Player payouts collectively reached €277.5 million, a 9% increase over the previous year and a 20% rise over 2023, with online bettors receiving the lion’s share of €214.3 million. Despite this growth, overall betting earnings—defined as the net difference between pay-ins and pay-outs—declined by 5% to €35 million. This downward trend was reflected across both segments, with Class A earnings falling by 1% to €13.6 million and Class B earnings decreasing by 8% to €21.4 million.

Market Dynamics And Operational Adjustments

The number of licensed Class A betting premises experienced a slight contraction, dropping 2% year-on-year to 465 outlets. The distribution of these premises included 165 in Nicosia, 133 in Limassol, 83 in Larnaca, 48 in Paphos, and 36 in Famagusta, accompanied by a parallel 2% reduction in employment figures among betting shop staff, which now stands at 1,495.

Enhanced Regulatory Compliance

The NBA also reported improvements in regulatory compliance. Licence cancellations and withdrawals fell by 28% compared to Q3 2024, demonstrating a tightening of oversight. Simultaneously, efforts to curtail unlicensed activities intensified, with the list of blocked unlicensed betting websites expanding to 21,825 by the end of September – including 192 new additions during the quarter, a 5% annual increase.

Meta’s Muse Is Outpacing ChatGPT In Early Mobile Adoption, New Data Suggests

Meta’s new AI app, Muse, may be emerging as one of the company’s strongest consumer launches to date. Fresh estimates from market intelligence firm Apptopia suggest the app has outperformed ChatGPT in early mobile traction, at least in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Apptopia, Muse recorded more downloads in its first 12 days on the market than ChatGPT did during the comparable period after its mobile debut. The comparison, limited to the U.S. and Canada, puts Muse’s iOS downloads at 1.8 million versus 1.3 million for ChatGPT over the same initial window.

A Strong Early Start Across Platforms

In total, Muse has reached 2.8 million global installs in its first 12 days, according to the firm. The app’s momentum also appears to be holding. After debuting at No. 2 on the U.S. App Store, Muse has since climbed to No. 1, surpassing ChatGPT, according to reporting from Business Insider. Appfigures had previously estimated that Muse crossed 1 million downloads shortly after launch.

That early rise matters because app-store performance in the first days after launch often signals whether a product can sustain consumer attention beyond initial curiosity. In Meta’s case, the data suggests Muse is not simply benefiting from novelty; it is gaining ground quickly enough to challenge the category leader.

Daily Users Show Similar Momentum

Apptopia’s estimates point to another favorable comparison for Meta: daily usage. In the U.S. alone, Muse is said to have 642,000 daily active users, well above the 231,000 ChatGPT had at the same stage of its mobile rollout.

To make the comparison fairer, Apptopia also narrowed the analysis to iOS only, since ChatGPT launched on iPhone before expanding more broadly. Even under that tighter lens, Muse still comes out ahead, with 359,000 daily active users on iOS compared with ChatGPT’s earlier figure.

Why Meta Has An Advantage

Third-party estimates are not the same as internal company data, and Apptopia cannot see Meta’s proprietary numbers. Still, even directional data suggests Muse may be on track to become a meaningful consumer product for Meta.

That possibility is strengthened by Meta’s distribution advantage. The company has already demonstrated how powerful its ecosystem can be with Threads, which surpassed 500 million users after heavy promotion across Instagram and Facebook. Muse is likely to receive a similar boost, especially because it can connect across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Apptopia does not track Meta’s internal promotion strategy, but its data indicates that more than 95% of Muse users are also Facebook users, while 63% are Instagram users. That overlap underscores how effectively Meta can move users across its products when it chooses to prioritize a launch.

The Strategic Test For Meta

For Meta, the early signal from Muse is less about one app’s download count than about whether the company can turn its scale into durable AI adoption. The first test is attention. The harder one is retention.

If Muse can convert early downloads into habitual use, Meta may have found a new front door into its AI ambitions. If not, the app risks becoming another example of how easily mobile hype can spike before settling back down.

Meta, which was asked for comment, has not yet released public figures on Muse’s early adoption.

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