The Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades announced this Wednesday that the process of selecting the company that would receive a casino license will finally begin this week.

This comes in an attempt from the government of Cyprus to boost tourism on the island in the Mediterranean. This license would allow the construction of one casino resort and four “satellite establishments” which the parliament of Cyprus approved in July. “The creation of the casino will bring to Cyprus hundreds of thousands of quality tourists a year, and will, of course, create jobs, which is the objective,” Anastasiades said.

According to the President, the construction of this facility will start once the license is finally issued sometime in the next year. This is part of a bigger long-term tourism plan that the country is trying to put into motion. They hope that half of it will be completed early in 2016.

The criteria to qualify for this license include the issuance of a special permit once the tax filings for the applicant are checked, income contingency and certification from Inland Revenue which will enable the applicant to apply for a membership card.