Egypt is preparing a major crackdown on online gambling, with parliament set to consider amendments to the country’s Cybercrime Law that would explicitly criminalise online betting platforms and significantly increase penalties for operators, facilitators and participants.

The proposed reforms would strengthen Egypt’s long-standing prohibition on gambling by introducing dedicated digital enforcement measures targeting online betting websites, payment channels and offshore operators.

Existing gambling ban faces digital challenges

While gambling has long been prohibited for Egyptian citizens, the country's legal framework was largely designed for traditional land-based gambling rather than online betting.

Current legislation already restricts gambling through several legal instruments:

- The Civil Code renders gambling contracts unenforceable.

- The Penal Code criminalises gambling activities.

- Casino operations are only permitted for foreign passport holders in licensed establishments.

However, despite these restrictions, many Egyptians continue to access offshore betting platforms through VPN services and foreign payment methods.

The absence of specific legislation addressing online gambling has created enforcement challenges, with lawmakers repeatedly expressing concern over foreign-licensed operators targeting Egyptian consumers through Arabic-language platforms.

Parliament prepares tougher legislation

Ahmed Badawi, chairman of Egypt’s House Communications and Information Technology Committee, confirmed in May 2026 that the government is preparing amendments to the Cybercrime Law that would explicitly criminalise online betting applications.

According to Badawi, the reforms will specifically identify electronic gambling as a criminal offence and introduce significantly tougher penalties.

In the most serious cases involving organised criminal networks, large-scale fraud operations or sophisticated gambling schemes, penalties could reportedly extend to life imprisonment.

The move signals a major escalation in Egypt’s efforts to combat online gambling and close regulatory loopholes that have enabled offshore operators to reach local consumers.

Authorities intensify blocking campaign

The legislative initiative follows an ongoing enforcement campaign targeting betting platforms operating in Egypt.

In February 2026, Badawi revealed that Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were working to block approximately 80% of online betting applications based on technical reports prepared alongside parliament’s communications committee.

Several major operators have already been targeted.

Russian-licensed sportsbook 1xBet, which had heavily promoted its services through influencers and social media campaigns, was removed from both Google Play and Apple’s App Store in Egypt during 2024 following parliamentary complaints.

Authorities have also moved against MelBet as part of a wider effort to eliminate access to online betting platforms.

Badawi has repeatedly stressed that the campaign is not directed against technology itself but rather against services considered harmful to society.

Proposed penalties target multiple participants

While the government has yet to publish its final legislative text, a separate proposal introduced by committee deputy chair Martha Mahrous provides insight into how penalties could be structured.

Mahrous submitted legislation in January 2025 aimed specifically at criminalising electronic betting and described online gambling as a growing social problem.

"We are facing a kind of addiction, and scientifically we treat the young person as addicted to these practices," Mahrous said.

Her proposal outlined a three-tier enforcement framework:

Agents and intermediaries

- Prison terms between two and five years.

- Fines ranging from EGP1 million to EGP5 million.

Payment facilitators

- Up to six months' imprisonment.

- Fines between EGP50,000 and EGP200,000.

Platform operators, sponsors and organisers

- Prison sentences between two and five years.

- Fines ranging from EGP5 million to EGP10 million.

Although Badawi has confirmed that the government is developing its own legislation rather than adopting Mahrous' proposal directly, both initiatives indicate a clear political consensus around tougher regulation.

Questions remain over enforcement

Several key aspects of the future framework remain unresolved.

One major issue concerns VPN usage, which currently enables users to bypass website blocking measures and access offshore gambling platforms.

Lawmakers must also determine how payment providers, banks and financial institutions will be expected to identify and prevent gambling-related transactions.

Early discussions have also raised the possibility of penalties for individual users who continue to access prohibited gambling applications, although no official text detailing player liability has yet been published.

One of the toughest gambling regimes in the region

As of late June, Egypt’s parliament had not yet formally scheduled debate on the proposed amendments, despite earlier indications that legislation would be introduced shortly after Eid al-Adha.

If adopted in its current form, the reforms would create one of the strictest online gambling enforcement regimes in the Middle East and North Africa.

The combination of:

- Dedicated cybercrime provisions

- Aggressive website blocking

- Severe financial penalties

- Potential criminal liability for facilitators

- Possible life sentences for major offences

would represent a significant escalation from Egypt’s historically fragmented approach to online gambling enforcement.

For offshore operators and their local partners, the proposed reforms could transform Egypt from a market characterised by relatively limited digital enforcement into one of the most restrictive jurisdictions in the region.

Sources: IGB