🇪🇬For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Egypt gambling laws for operators: illegal to offer
Land-based casinos are licensed for foreign passport-holders only. Online gambling is illegal for Egyptian citizens. As of 2026, offshore websites are actively blocked by the government, with new legislation pending to penalize users.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Egypt is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker | Banned |
| Lottery | Limited |
Regulator and player protection in Egypt
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Advertising stance
Banned or near-banned
Whether you can run TV / sponsorship / paid-social campaigns
Heads-up for operators
2 items · last change 8 Oct 2026
The government is preparing amendments to the Cybercrime Law (No. 175 of 2018) that would make the blocking of unlicensed gambling sites explicit; early drafts reportedly add penalties for people who access them. As of late June 2026 the amendments had not been scheduled for debate in the House of Representatives, and a separate member's bill had not reached a full debate (trade press).
'Digital Anti-Gambling' Bill
Parliament is drafting a new law to formalize the blocking of offshore sites and introduce penalties for Egyptian users who access them.
Source: 1
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 Egypt
2 licence types are listed for Egypt; each says who issues it and what it covers.
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel-Casino Licence (foreigners only) | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities | Variable (often 5–10 years) | Tied to operating four-star or higher hotels; admits only foreign passport-holders. |
| National Lottery Concession | Ministry of Social Solidarity | — | Held by the Egyptian National Lottery, operating as a state monopoly. |
Licensing model
Egypt's online market is governed by 'ghost statutes': pre-internet laws, primarily the Penal Code of 1937 and Civil Code No. 131 of 1948, that criminalize gambling and are now applied online. There is no mechanism to obtain an online licence. The only form of gambling legally available to citizens is the state-run National Lottery, which operates as a monopoly under the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
Gambling tax and fees in Egypt
Detail
Land-based casinos face a multi-layered tax system: a 21.5% Value-Added Tax (VAT) on GGR, a 3% withholding tax on total monthly gaming revenue, and the standard corporate income tax on net profits. The Minister of Tourism may impose a royalty of up to 50% of gambling revenues.
Operators cannot deduct input VAT paid on operational costs, which raises their effective tax liability.
Year-1 cost: fee schedule not yet published
There is no legal framework for licensing online gambling in Egypt. For the restricted land-based casino sector, fee schedules are not publicly available.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online Licence Application & Annual Fees | Not Applicable | There is no legal mechanism for obtaining an online gambling licence in Egypt. |
| Land-Based Casino Licence Fees | no published fee schedule | Licence costs are not publicly detailed by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and are likely determined on a case-by-case basis as part of hotel investment agreements. |
| Operator GGR Tax (Land-Based) | 21.5% VAT on GGR Source2 | This is in addition to a 3% withholding tax, standard corporate income tax, and a potential royalty of up to 50% of gambling revenues. |
Year 1 estimate
Year 1 cannot be totalled: gov fee schedule not published
Costs are only applicable to the land-based sector for foreigners, and official government fee schedules are not publicly available.
Which foreign licences Egypt accepts
Egypt recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BlockedMalta (MGA)
Online gambling is illegal for Egyptian residents. MGA-licensed sites are a primary target of the government's ongoing DNS blocking campaign initiated in February 2026.
United Kingdom (UKGC)
UKGC-licensed sites are not legally accessible to Egyptian residents and are subject to the government's active blocking campaign.
Curaçao (CGB)
These sites are actively targeted for blocking by Egyptian authorities as part of a nationwide crackdown on unlicensed online gambling.
Alderney (AGCC) · Kahnawake (KGCB) · Anjouan
Online gambling is illegal for residents regardless of the foreign license; sites are subject to active government blocking.
Isle of Man (GSC)
The government's blocking campaign does not differentiate by jurisdiction; all offshore sites are targeted for blocking.
Gibraltar (GRA)
All offshore operators, including those licensed in Gibraltar, are subject to the same government-mandated blocking.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
Bonuses bannedInducement ads: Banned
As all forms of online gambling are illegal for Egyptian citizens, there is no regulatory framework for bonuses, promotions, or advertising. All associated activities are strictly prohibited, and recent government actions aim to eliminate the grey market entirely.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- All online gambling verticals are prohibited for citizens.
All activities associated with online gambling, including claiming bonuses, are considered illegal for Egyptian citizens.
What the operator can advertise
- Channels off-limits
- television
- radio
- public outdoor advertising
- online platforms
- Penalties
The act of providing a location for gambling games is punishable by detention and fines under the Penal Code of 1937. Proposed new legislation aims to introduce more severe penalties.
The advertising and marketing of any gambling services to Egyptian nationals is strictly forbidden.
Recent advertising-violation cases
| Date | Operator | Violation | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | Various offshore operators | Illegally targeting Egyptian citizens with unlicensed online betting services. | Authorities began actively blocking access to websites and announced forthcoming legislation to impose harsher penalties. | Yogonet |
Advertising: banned or near-banned
All forms of online gambling, including both Sportsbook and Online Casino, are illegal for Egyptian citizens and advertising them is comprehensively banned. The government initiated a coordinated blocking of offshore gambling websites in February 2026, with a new bill expected mid-year to formalize penalties. Consequently, no legitimate advertising market exists for either vertical.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Google's gambling and games policy explicitly lists Egypt as a country where all gambling ads are prohibited. The March 2026 “Good Policy Health” update, requiring per-country certification, is not applicable as no certifications are granted for Egypt.67 |
| App Store Publishing | Banned | Real-money gambling apps are not publishable in Egypt on either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Following the government's February 2026 initiative to block offshore betting apps, submissions are rejected and existing apps face removal.89 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | As real-money gambling apps cannot be published in Egyptian storefronts for either Apple or Google, they are ineligible for promotion. This ban on advertising is a direct consequence of the blanket ban on the underlying products.1011 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Meta's advertising policy requires prior written permission for real-money gambling ads and explicitly lists Egypt as a prohibited market. No such permission is granted, so any attempt to advertise is a direct violation of platform policy and local law.1213 |
| TV & Radio | Banned | All forms of gambling advertising are prohibited on broadcast media under the oversight of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR). Only the state-run National Lottery may promote its services, and only with prior government approval.1415 |
| Sponsorships | Banned | Sponsorships of sports teams, stadiums, or events by any sportsbook or online casino brand are illegal. The parliamentary Youth and Sports Committee is actively working on legislation to further criminalize such promotional activities.1617 |
| Digital OOH | Banned | Public advertising of gambling is not permitted. Law No. 208 of 2020 governs outdoor advertising, requiring licenses and adherence to content regulations from bodies like the SCMR, which explicitly prohibits gambling promotions.1415 |
Channel rules for Egypt 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 Egypt enforces against unlicensed operators
As of February 2026, Egypt has escalated its enforcement from non-existent to aggressive. The government initiated a nationwide, coordinated ISP-level blocking campaign targeting all offshore operators and is drafting new legislation to penalize users. This signals a clear intent to eradicate the grey market.
- February 2026: Parliament's Communications and Information Technology Committee announced a nationwide campaign to block unlicensed online betting and gambling platforms.
- February 2026: The crackdown explicitly targets major offshore operators, with specific brands mentioned in press reports.
- Pending Mid-2026: A new 'Digital Anti-Gambling' bill is in development to introduce penalties for users who access banned platforms, a significant escalation in enforcement.
Enforcement cases in Egypt: 2 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Egypt. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- February 2026
Offshore Operators (including 1xBet)
Grey-MarketISP/Payment blockingOperating in an unlicensed and prohibited market, leading to concerns over addiction and lack of consumer protection.
Read-across: This signals a major policy shift from a grey market to active enforcement, one that requires offshore operators to cease targeting Egyptian players or face complete exclusion.
- February 2026
Government of Egypt
LicensingDrafting new legislationTo close legal loopholes that allowed offshore operators to function with limited oversight and to introduce penalties for users of banned platforms.
Read-across: The proposed law requiring local legal representation will significantly increase compliance costs and barriers to entry for any future regulated market.
Market size: 0.24B USD (2025)
Gross gaming revenue in Egypt is approximately 240 million USD annually. The most popular form of gambling is Sports Betting. Online gambling represents 0% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is Hotel-casinos for foreign passport-holders, the Egyptian National Lottery, and a large unregulated online sports betting market..
Market breakdown by vertical
- Land-based0.048B USD20.0%
- Sports betting0.156B USD65.0%
- Casino0.036B USD15.0%
- Lottery0B USD0.0%
Source: Grand View / Horizon MEA Tracker. Splits: online-casino 15.0%, sports 65.0%, land-based 20.0%, lottery 0.0%.
GGR figure20
Licensed operators: ~30
As of 8 Oct 2026, approximately 30 operators hold an active licence in Egypt. Size your entry against this base before committing capital.
Notable licensed operators
London Club Casino
Casino Barrière El Gezirah
Omar Khayyam Casino
Kings & Queens Casino
Traps operators hit in Egypt
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.
Assuming the 'Grey Market' is Tolerated
Prior to 2026, Egypt was a large, unregulated grey market. The government's recent actions demonstrate a definitive policy shift. Any operator continuing to target Egyptian players faces immediate and permanent ISP blocking, payment processing disruption, and elimination of any future market entry possibility.
Sources18
Underestimating the Scope of New Legislation
The pending 'Digital Anti-Gambling' bill is not just about blocking sites. It reportedly includes provisions to penalize individual users and require any future accredited digital platform to have a local legal representative, imposing significant compliance and operational burdens.
Sources1
Misinterpreting the 'Foreigner-Only' Casino Law
The legal carve-out for land-based casinos is strictly for foreign passport holders. Any operator attempting to use this exception as a loophole to target Egyptian citizens would be in direct violation of the Penal Code and subject to criminal prosecution.
Sources21
Timeline: rules in force
- February 2026
Nationwide ISP Blocking Campaign Launched
The government began actively blocking offshore online gambling and betting websites, a major policy shift from a grey market to active prohibition.
Source: 18
- 1948
Civil Code Voids Gambling Contracts
Civil Code No. 131 of 1948 was passed, reinforcing the illegality of gambling by declaring related contracts and debts void.
Source: 21
- 1937
Penal Code Enacted
The Egyptian Penal Code was enacted, with articles that broadly criminalize most forms of gambling for citizens. This remains the foundational law.
Source: 21
- Mid-20th Century
Tourist Casino Exception Established
Regulations were introduced to permit the operation of land-based casinos exclusively for foreign tourists within licensed hotels, under the oversight of the Ministry of Tourism.
Operator myths vs reality in Egypt
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythEgypt is a large, untapped grey market with no real enforcement.Reality
This was true before 2026, but is now dangerously outdated. Egypt has shifted to an active blocking model, with the government coordinating a nationwide ISP-level campaign to make offshore sites inaccessible.
Sources18
- MythA Curaçao or MGA license provides some legal cover to accept Egyptian players.Reality
This is completely false. Egyptian law does not recognize any foreign online gambling licenses. All offshore operators are considered illegal and are targets of the government's blocking campaign.
Sources22
- MythThe biggest risk of serving Egyptian players is having our website blocked.Reality
While website blocking is the primary tool now, proposed 2026 legislation indicates a move towards penalizing users and requiring local legal representation for platforms. Future risks could include payment blocking and brand blacklisting.
Sources1
Markets that work like Egypt
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.
- SyriaAI overviewVietnamAI overview
Online casino, betting and poker banned; lottery limited; licensed market; most ad channels banned.
- NepalAI overview
Online casino, betting and poker banned; licensed market; most ad channels banned; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- ChileChecked
Online casino, betting and poker banned; lottery limited; most ad channels banned; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- CambodiaAI overview
Online casino, betting and poker banned; licensed market; most ad channels 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 Egypt
Documents cited on this page
- 1muslimnetwork.tv
- 2andersen.com
- 3CMS Law
- 4Muslim Network TV
- 5Vegas Aces
- 6iGaming AFRIKA: Google Updates Gambling and Games Advertising Certification Rules
- 7Yogonet: Google tightens gambling advertising rules, adds stricter compliance measures
- 8AffPapa: Egypt blocks access to online sports betting apps
- 9Focus Gaming News: Egypt moves to block online gambling apps
- 10Yogonet International: Egypt to block online betting sites
- 11iGaming AFRIKA: Egypt Tightens Digital Controls With Ban on Online Betting Apps
- 12Tribuna.com: Meta updates gambling ad policy
- 13SBC EURASIA EN: Meta Updates Its Gambling Advertising Policy
- 14Chambers and Partners: Advertising & Marketing 2025 - Egypt
- 15Legal Pilot: Is Gambling Legal in Egypt?
- 16Khaberni: Egypt.. Parliamentary Movement Towards Sports Betting
- 17Muslim Network TV: Egypt moves to block online betting sites
- 18yogonet.com
- 19tecpinion.com
- 20Grand View / Horizon MEA Tracker
- 21legalpilot.com
- 22affpapa.com
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Egypt (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Egypt player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 8 Oct 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. We are not a legal adviser.