The possibility of stricter and more automated controls on recipients of social benefits, through bank data and interconnection with casinos and betting companies, was examined on Thursday by the parliamentary Audit Committee, continuing the discussion of the special report of the Audit Office for the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
The focus was on the access of the Welfare Benefits Management Service (YDEP) to more detailed bank data of beneficiaries. As explained, through the existing interconnection the Service receives limited information, including on the balance and the highest account balance in a specific period.
The head of the YDEP, Giannis Vassiliadis, explained that this evidence can be an indication that a case needs further investigation, without proving anything on their own. "The point is that the way he gives them to us now is limited. We want it to become more efficient," he said, noting that the goal is to take "only the data that is necessary".
A typical reference was made in the case of a recipient who had about €3,000 in her account and then received a grant of €5,000 for the installation of photovoltaics. The total amount thus exceeded the relevant limit and the payment of the allowance was stopped, until the origin of the money was investigated.
MPs indicated that the burden of securing the additional bank details should not be passed on to the citizen once he has already granted the required authorization. "The citizen, the moment he is obliged to sign the authorization, finished his job. The problem should not be passed on to the citizen," he said.
The position of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection was also important. As mentioned, a 2022 opinion, according to which there was no legal basis for obtaining detailed account statements, was reviewed. "We have reconsidered the issue. There is a legal basis, there is a decree, so there is a legal basis for obtaining the detailed statements," the Commission was told.
On the part of the banks, it was stated that, as long as the legal requirements are met and there is the appropriate authorization, technically the statement can be sent directly. "The bank can send a statement, it will send it in PDF format," a spokesman for the banking sector said.
At the same time, the issue of charges imposed on citizens for the issuance of account statements was discussed, with the position that the direct exchange of data with a state service should not entail a charge to the beneficiary, from one to 5 euros.
Solution for GMI recipients in casinos
A special discussion was held about the participation of GMI recipients in gambling. The executive director of the National Gaming and Casino Supervision Authority, Haris Tsangaridis, stated that since the beginning of 2023, the Authority had identified that during the period within the month that the GMI is paid, there is an increase in participation in games.
As he said, this fact led the Authority to contacts with the YDEP, with the aim of examining a control mechanism for GMI recipients when issuing a casino card.
Mr. Tsangaridis underlined that the protection of vulnerable groups falls within the competences of the Authority, noting that these are explicitly in the field of its protection.
The contacts with the YDEP, as he mentioned, led to the preparation of a specific technical solution. "The technical solution was prepared so that someone, in order to be able to issue a casino card, must be checked whether he is an EEE recipient or not," he said.
According to what he explained, the process could work through an ID number and simply return a "yes" or "no" answer, without sharing any additional personal data with the casino.
Mr. Tsangaridis also stated that from mid-2027 the use of cards in casinos will become mandatory to a much greater extent, which will significantly enhance the ability to identify players and implement such a mechanism. As he said, today the system is not fully implemented in the casinos of Nicosia and Limassol.
"Eight out of ten play online"
The National Betting Authority pointed out that most of the betting has now moved online. "In Cyprus in recent years, eight out of ten players have been playing online," it said, while for land-based agencies it was noted that identification is more difficult, as much of the activity is anonymous.
For online betting, however, the Authority stated that it is ready to technically proceed with the exclusion of GMI recipients through the self-exclusion platform that has been operating since 2024.
"We are technically ready. If it passes legislation, we can put them on the self-exclusion platform on the same day and they will not be able to play on the legal online," said the representative of the Authority.
From the point of view of personal data protection, it was pointed out, however, that a clear legislative basis is required for the interconnection of the registers of GMI recipients with the competent gaming authorities.
The discussion took place in the shadow of the findings of the Audit Office, which had identified weaknesses in the extraction of information from credit institutions and in data cross-checks, pointing out that the lack of unified and interconnected information systems limits the effectiveness of audits.
