Afghanistan for operators: illegal to offer
All forms of gambling are strictly illegal in Afghanistan. The prohibition is absolute, based on religious law, and covers all online and land-based activities.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Afghanistan is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker · Lottery | Banned |
Regulator and player protection in Afghanistan
Heads-up for operators
Changes coming in Afghanistan
No pending legislation. All gambling is considered haram (forbidden) and is criminally prosecuted under the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law, which supersedes any prior penal codes.
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Licence Types in Afghanistan
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No gambling licences issued | — | — | All forms of gambling banned. |
Gambling tax and fees in Afghanistan
No legal gambling industry exists in Afghanistan.
Year-1 cost: Not applicable
As all forms of gambling are strictly illegal in Afghanistan, there is no licensing or compliance cost framework for operators.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All gambling activities | Not applicable Source1 | All forms of gambling are criminally prosecuted. There are no licences or legal frameworks. |
No legal gambling market exists.
Which foreign licences Afghanistan accepts
Afghanistan recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BannedMalta (MGA) · United Kingdom (UKGC) · Gibraltar (GRA) · Isle of Man (GSC) · Curaçao · Kahnawake (KGC) · Anjouan (AGB) · Alderney (AGCC)
All offshore online gambling is strictly illegal and actively blocked by the government.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
The absolute prohibition on all forms of gambling in Afghanistan means that all related activities, including promotions, marketing, and player bonuses, are also strictly illegal. There is no legal distinction between offering a gambling product and advertising it; both are forbidden and subject to severe penalties.
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- casino games
- sports betting
- poker
- lotteries
As all gambling is illegal, offering any inducement to gamble is also a criminal offense.
- Channels off-limits
- television
- radio
- online media
- Messages ads may not give
- All phrases promoting gambling are inherently prohibited.
- Penalties
Penalties are severe and can include fines, imprisonment, property confiscation, and corporal punishment. Specific statutory fine amounts are not detailed.
Enforcement falls under the "Law On the Propagation Of Virtue And Prevention Of Vice." Global advertising platforms also explicitly forbid the promotion of gambling targeting Afghanistan.
| Date | Operator | Violation | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 | N/A (individuals) | Seven individuals were arrested in Faryab province on suspicion of gambling. | Arrested | Atlas Press |
| November 2025 | N/A (individuals) | Eight residents of Balkh province were detained for gambling. | Detained | Atlas Press |
| July 2025 | N/A (individuals) | The Ministry of Interior Affairs announced the arrest of 21 individuals across five provinces for crimes including gambling. | Arrested | Xinhua |
| May 2025 | N/A (activity) | Authorities suspended the game of chess nationwide, citing its potential as a source of gambling. | Activity suspended | SBC News |
| January 2025 | N/A (individuals) | Eight people were arrested for gambling in Herat province as part of a larger operation. | Arrested | AVA Press |
Advertising: banned or near-banned
All gambling and its associated advertising are comprehensively banned in Afghanistan under the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law. No distinction is made between Sportsbook and Online Casino activities, as all forms are considered “haram” (forbidden) and are criminal offenses. Enforcement is handled by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Google's advertising policy explicitly prohibits the promotion of both online and offline gambling in Afghanistan. A policy update in late 2025 reaffirmed the country's inclusion in the list where all gambling advertising is disallowed, so certification is unobtainable.56 |
| App Store Publishing | Banned | Publishing real-money gambling apps is impossible, as operators cannot obtain the required local license mandated by both Apple's and Google's developer policies. Afghanistan has no legal framework for issuing such licenses.67 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | As real-money gambling apps cannot be published in Afghanistan's app stores, any promotion for them is also prohibited. Advertising an illegal activity violates the fundamental terms of service for both Apple's App Store and Google Play.68 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Meta's policies require prior written permission and a valid regulatory license to run gambling ads, neither of which can be obtained for Afghanistan. National law strictly prohibits all advertising of gambling services.69 |
| TV & Radio | Banned | A complete ban exists on any public or private communication, including broadcast media, that promotes or facilitates gambling. The government has imposed broad restrictions on media content deemed contrary to its interpretation of Islamic law.68 |
| Sponsorships | Banned | Any form of sponsorship by a gambling entity is illegal, as it is the promotion of a forbidden activity. The government's strict stance showed in its 2025 suspension of chess over concerns it is a “means of gambling.”610 |
| Digital OOH | Banned | The comprehensive legal prohibition on promoting gambling extends to all forms of outdoor advertising, including digital billboards. The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is tasked with enforcing this ban.68 |
Channel rules for Afghanistan reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Afghanistan enforces against unlicensed operators
Enforcement is absolute and severe, managed by the Taliban administration's morality police. Penalties for 'moral crimes' like gambling are extreme and can include public corporal punishment. The state actively suppresses all forms of wagering.
- Ongoing: Criminal prosecution for all gambling activities under the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law.
- Ongoing: Active suppression of traditional betting activities, including on animal fights, which were previously popular.
- Periodic: Police crackdowns on illegal betting rings, particularly those focused on popular cricket matches.
Enforcement cases in Afghanistan: 3 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Afghanistan. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- April 2026
BitCasino
Grey-MarketMarket exitThe platform withdrew from the Afghan market due to regulatory crackdowns and difficulties with international payment systems.
Read-across: The exit of an online crypto casino shows that operating is infeasible for offshore operators, even those using cryptocurrencies, because of active government suppression.
- March 2026
N/A
Grey-MarketIncreased use of corporal punishmentIndividuals were subjected to public floggings for so-called "moral" crimes, which include gambling.
Read-across: This shows a significant increase in the personal risk for any individuals involved in gambling activities, signaling a zero-tolerance enforcement environment.
- May 2025
N/A
Grey-MarketSuspension of the game of chessThe Taliban authorities banned chess, deeming it a source of gambling which is illegal under the government's morality law.
Read-across: This administrative precedent shows the authorities' broad interpretation of gambling and their willingness to prohibit activities perceived to be associated with it. It poses a risk for any gaming-related operations.
Licensed operators: none
As of 2 Jun 2026, no operator holds an active online licence in Afghanistan.
Traps operators hit in Afghanistan
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Absolute Criminal Prohibition
There is no legal or grey market. All gambling is a criminal offense under Sharia law, prosecuted by the Taliban's morality police. Penalties for involvement are severe and can include corporal punishment.
Sources1
No Recognized Foreign Licences
No foreign or offshore gambling licence is recognized or offers any form of legal protection. The state considers all offshore operators targeting Afghanistan to be criminal enterprises.
No Formal Payment Channels
Formal banking and e-wallets are completely unavailable for gambling-related transactions. The financial system is hostile to gambling, with any transactions likely forced through high-risk, illegal informal networks like Hawala.
Timeline: rules in force
- August 2021
Taliban Return to Power, Re-impose Sharia Law
Following the fall of the Islamic Republic, the Taliban re-established an absolute prohibition on all gambling based on their interpretation of Sharia law.
Source: 13
- 2021-Present
Buzkashi Sport Revived Under Taliban Patronage
In a reversal from their first rule, the Taliban have embraced the national sport of Buzkashi, with officials attending matches. However, all associated betting remains strictly illegal.
Source: 14
- 1996-2001
First Taliban Rule Bans Gambling & Buzkashi
During their first period in power, the Taliban banned all gambling, animal fighting, and even the national sport of Buzkashi as immoral.
Source: 13
- Ongoing
Sustained Enforcement of Total Prohibition
The Taliban administration continues to enforce a complete ban on all forms of gambling, from online betting to traditional animal fights, as a matter of religious law.
Source: 1
Operator myths vs reality in Afghanistan
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythAfghanistan is an untapped grey market for online gambling.Reality
This is incorrect. Afghanistan is a strictly black market with zero tolerance for gambling. All operations are illegal, actively suppressed, and subject to criminal prosecution under Sharia law.
Sources1
- MythA foreign licence from a jurisdiction like Curaçao or Malta provides some legal cover.Reality
False. No foreign licence is recognized or offers any protection. The government considers all offshore gambling illegal and actively attempts to block access to such sites.
- MythThe authorities only focus on land-based gambling, not online.Reality
The prohibition is absolute and covers both land-based and online activities. The government engages in digital surveillance and filtering to block access to offshore gambling platforms as part of its enforcement.
Markets that work like Afghanistan
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- PakistanAI overviewTurkmenistanAI overviewIranAI overviewOmanAI overviewQatarAI overview
Online casino, betting, poker and lottery banned; most ad channels banned; foreign licences mostly banned.
Methodology & sources
This page is a Quick AI overview: a summary of public information, not yet checked against the law or the regulator. Treat it as a starting point. It has not yet been through our Deep AI Scan.
How we researchAsk us to run the Deep AI Scan for Afghanistan
Documents cited on this page
- 1Durham Cricket: Countries Where Cricket Betting is Banned
- 2iGaming Today
- 3Atlas Press
- 4Xinhua
- 5TheGamblest
- 6Legal Pilot
- 7AppleMagazine
- 8iGamingToday.com
- 9Covers.com
- 10Chess.com
- 11Dawn: Animal dueling at its peak in Kabul
- 12Outlook India: Goa Police Crack Down On Illegal Betting Ring
- 13Animals 24-7: What does the Taliban mean for animals in Afghanistan?
- 14National Geographic: Trouble Lurks for Buzkashi