The Republic of Cyprus has begun blocking unauthorized online gambling sites as it prepares to launch its regulated sports betting market.

On Monday, a Cypriot parliamentary finance committee meeting heard from representatives of the National Betting Authority (EAS), who reported that they’d begun blocking the domains of an estimated 2,500 online gambling sites currently serving Cypriot punters without the government’s permission.

The Cyprus Mail reported that the EAS representative claimed his agency was focusing on online casino sites, as these are expressly forbidden under the 2012 legislation that banned online casino, poker and exchange betting.

In October, the EAS began accepting applications for new online sports betting licenses, while warning operators who failed to apply that their names would be added to the country’s blacklist. The government has identified gambling expansion as a way to boost tax revenue.