🇮🇶For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Iraq gambling laws for operators: illegal to offer
All gambling is illegal in Iraq under the 1969 Penal Code. Enforcement against online sites has intensified, with systematic DNS blocking and a judicial push for stricter laws. A single state-tolerated horse-racing tote is the only exception.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Iraq is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker · Lottery | Banned |
Regulator and player protection in Iraq
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
Judiciary Demands New Online Gambling Law
Senior judges publicly declared the 1969 Penal Code insufficient for the digital age and called on the legislature to draft new laws to explicitly criminalize online gambling.
Source: 1
As of February 2026, senior Iraqi judges have publicly called for amendments to the 1969 Penal Code to explicitly criminalize online gambling. They argue the current law is inadequate for the digital age and that online gambling contributes to economic sabotage and money laundering.
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 Iraq
One licence type is listed for Iraq: Horse-racing tote (limited).
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horse-racing tote (limited) | Ministry of Interior | Statutory exception | Held by Baghdad Equestrian Club. |
Licensing model
Iraq has no licensing model. The controlling law is the pre-internet Penal Code of 1969. In a legal quirk, courts apply the ban on physical gambling venues to online sites by treating them as 'virtual venues'. The judiciary seeks to replace this legal workaround with explicit legislation criminalizing online gambling.
Gambling tax and fees in Iraq
Detail
Limited tote operations.
Year-1 cost: not applicable
Iraq has no licensing or regulatory framework for gambling. All operations are illegal, so there is no official fee schedule for licenses, certification, or taxes.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All Licence Types | not applicable Source2 | All forms of gambling are prohibited under the 1969 Penal Code. No licences are issued. |
Year 1 estimate
not applicable
No legal market exists.
Which foreign licences Iraq accepts
Iraq 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 foreign licences are unrecognized as gambling is illegal under the 1969 Penal Code. Offshore operators are actively blocked.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
Bonuses bannedInducement ads: Banned
Due to the complete prohibition of gambling, there is no specific regulatory framework for iGaming bonuses, promotions, or advertising in Iraq. All such activities are considered illegal as they promote a forbidden act. A draft regulation on digital content also explicitly prohibits the promotion of gambling games.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- All
As all forms of gambling are illegal, offering any inducements to gamble is also prohibited.
What the operator can advertise
- Channels off-limits
- All
- Messages ads may not give
- Free Bet
- Risk-Free
- Penalties
For opening or managing a gambling venue (including online), the penalty is up to one year in prison and a fine. Patrons face up to one month in prison or a fine.
Enforcement targets the primary offense of offering illegal gambling rather than secondary infractions like non-compliant advertising. However, the government actively blocks websites and has cracked down on physical gambling venues.
Recent advertising-violation cases
| Date | Operator | Violation | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 2025 | Ludo (online game) | Game banned by the Ministry of Communications for its 'betting system' encouraging gambling-like behavior. | Nationwide block | kurdistan24.net |
Advertising: banned or near-banned
All forms of gambling, including online sportsbooks and casinos, are illegal in Iraq under the 1969 Penal Code. Consequently, all related advertising is strictly prohibited across all channels, with no divergence in restrictions between sportsbook and online casino offerings.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Google Ads policies prohibit the promotion of illegal activities. Iraq is explicitly listed among countries where advertising for land-based gambling establishments is banned as of November 2025, extending to all forms of gambling advertising due to the country’s comprehensive prohibition.78 |
| App Store Publishing | Banned | Both Apple App Review Guideline 5.3 and Google Play’s gambling policies prohibit apps facilitating illegal gambling. Since all forms of gambling are illegal in Iraq, apps for Sportsbook, Online Casino, Lotteries, and Horse Racing cannot be published in the country.79 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | As publishing gambling apps is prohibited in Iraq, advertising them through promoted listings or Universal App Campaigns on Google and Apple App Stores is also banned. This matches the general prohibition on all gambling advertising in the country.79 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Meta’s advertising policies prohibit content that promotes illegal activities. Given that all gambling is illegal in Iraq and all gambling advertising is banned, Meta does not grant “Prior Written Permission” for sportsbook or online casino advertising.710 |
| TV & Radio | Restricted | All forms of advertising or marketing for gambling services are strictly prohibited in Iraq, including on traditional media like TV and Radio, as per the Iraqi Penal Code of 1969. This comprehensive ban means no specific watershed times or whistle-to-whistle bans exist.711 |
| Sponsorships | Banned | Due to the explicit prohibition of all forms of gambling and gambling advertising under Iraqi law, sponsorships such as jersey, stadium, or naming rights for both sportsbook and casino operators are banned. No reforms have occurred to permit such activities, and enforcement remains strict.710 |
| Digital OOH | Banned | All gambling advertising is strictly prohibited in Iraq, extending to Digital Out-of-Home channels like billboards and transit advertising. The general advertising law in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq also prohibits content contrary to public morality, under which gambling falls.711 |
Channel rules for Iraq 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 Iraq enforces against unlicensed operators
Enforcement has intensified significantly since late 2025. Authorities now engage in systematic ISP blocking of offshore sites and periodic raids on physical gambling dens. The judiciary's recent public call for harsher, specific online gambling laws signals a move towards a more aggressive stance.
- February 2026: Senior judges called for amendments to the 1969 Penal Code to explicitly target online gambling platforms.
- December 2025: The popular mobile game 'Ludo' was banned by the Ministry of Communications due to its perceived promotion of gambling.
- Late 2025: The Ministry of Communications launched broader campaigns to block websites and applications with 'betting systems'.
- Ongoing: Law enforcement agencies conduct periodic raids and arrests at illegal land-based gambling venues.
Enforcement cases in Iraq: 5 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Iraq. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- February 2026
Offshore Online Operators
Grey-MarketJudicial call for legal reformIraqi judges called for amendments to the penal code to explicitly address online gambling, as the current 1969 law is inadequate for digital platforms.
Read-across: Signals a potential future tightening of laws to explicitly criminalize and prosecute offshore online gambling operators and players more effectively.
- December 2025
Ludo (Mobile Game)
Grey-MarketApplication bannedThe Iraqi Ministry of Communications banned the game due to its perceived promotion of gambling behaviors and negative societal effects.
Read-across: Indicates that authorities are willing to block online content with gambling-like features, which poses a risk for online gaming and gambling platforms.
- February 2025
Unnamed Gambling Operators
Grey-MarketArrests and closure of venuesSecurity forces conducted raids on illegal gambling halls as part of a broader crackdown on prohibited gambling activities.
Read-across: Demonstrates a consistent enforcement focus on physical illegal gambling and signals high risk for any land-based operations or local presence.
- April 2023
Unnamed Gambling Operators
Grey-MarketArrests of 191 individualsIraqi security forces raided several illegal gambling halls in Baghdad, arresting both Iraqi citizens and foreign nationals.
Read-across: Highlights the significant legal and criminal risk for individuals who organize or take part in illegal gambling operations within Iraq.
- April 2019
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds & Fortnite (Online Games)
Grey-MarketOnline access and financial transactions bannedIraq's parliament voted to ban the games due to their perceived negative effects on the health, culture, and security of Iraqi society.
Read-across: Establishes a precedent for blocking popular online games and related financial transactions on moral and societal grounds. This is a risk for gaming operators.
Licensed operators: ~1
As of 18 Jun 2026, approximately 1 operator hold an active licence in Iraq. Size your entry against this base before committing capital.
Notable licensed operators
Traps operators hit in Iraq
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.
Criminal Liability Under Pre-Internet Statute
Operators must understand that this is an illegal market, not a 'grey' one. The judiciary actively interprets the 1969 Penal Code's ban on physical gambling venues to apply to websites as 'virtual venues.' This carries the risk of criminal prosecution for any local staff, affiliates, or payment processors.
Broad Definition of 'Gambling' Content
Authorities have shown a willingness to block content that is not real-money gambling but has similar mechanics. The 2025 ban on the game 'Ludo' was justified by its 'betting system.' Operators of social casinos, skill games, or video games with loot boxes face a tangible risk of being blocked without warning.
Sources5
Payment and VPN Crackdowns
Authorities have noted the outflow of currency to offshore sites as 'economic sabotage.' This could trigger more aggressive blocking of payment channels. Iraq maintains restrictions on VPNs, another layer of legal risk for operators relying on players to bypass ISP blocks.
Timeline: rules in force
- December 2025
'Ludo' Game Banned Over Gambling Concerns
The government banned a popular mobile game not for direct gambling, but for containing a 'betting system' deemed harmful to society, a precedent that signals a wider interpretation of prohibited content.
Source: 5
- Late 2025
Intensified Digital Censorship Begins
The Ministry of Communications began more systematic and broader campaigns to block access to offshore gambling websites and mobile applications with betting-like features.
Source: 14
- 2014
Government Implements VPN Ban
As part of its efforts to combat ISIS, the government implemented a ban on VPNs. This infrastructure for digital censorship remains in place and is now used to block access to gambling sites.
Source: 12
- 1969
Penal Code No. 111 Enacted
The foundational law, Article 389, criminalized all forms of gambling in physical venues. It set a blanket prohibition that remains in effect today.
Source: 2
Operator myths vs reality in Iraq
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythIraq is an unregulated market, so it's a low-risk 'grey' jurisdiction.Reality
Iraq is a prohibited, black-market jurisdiction. Unlike grey markets where the law is merely silent, Iraqi law explicitly bans gambling, and authorities are now applying this ban to online operators and calling for even stricter laws.
Sources3
- MythThe government only cares about land-based gambling halls.
- MythAs long as we don't have a physical presence, we are safe from enforcement.Reality
The primary risks are not raids on offices but payment blocking and ISP-level censorship, which directly impact revenue. Any local marketing affiliates or payment agents are subject to arrest and prosecution under Article 389 of the Penal Code.
Sources2
Markets that work like Iraq
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.
- KuwaitAI overviewPalestineAI overviewIranAI overviewBahrainAI overviewSaudi ArabiaAI 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 Iraq
Documents cited on this page
- 1964media.com
- 2legalpilot.com
- 3iraqbet.com
- 4washingtoninstitute.org
- 5kurdistan24.net
- 6alsharqiya.com
- 7Legal Pilot - Is Gambling Legal in Iraq? Laws, Online Betting & Casino Ban 2026
- 8TheGamblest - Google bans advertising of land-based casinos in 42 countries
- 96Wresearch - Iraq Online Gambling and Betting Market (2025-2031)
- 10iGamingToday.com - Iraq iGaming Market Research Report
- 11iGamingToday.com - Gambling Regulation in Iraq
- 12surfshark.com
- 13iraqbet.com
- 14igamingtoday.com
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Iraq (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Iraq player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 18 Jun 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Ministry of Interior (enforcement). We are not a legal adviser.