Maldives for operators: illegal to offer
All forms of gambling are illegal. A Penal Code amendment tabled in January 2026 would make gambling a fourth-degree crime punishable by up to four years in prison; it passed its first reading and is not confirmed as law.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Maldives is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker · Lottery | Banned |
Regulator and player protection in Maldives
Heads-up for operators
3 items · last change 8 Oct 2026
A Penal Code amendment submitted by a member of parliament, which would make gambling and operating a gambling establishment a fourth-degree felony punishable by up to four years in prison, online gambling included, was accepted at first reading by all 50 members present on 5 January 2026 and sent to committee. On 8 January 2026 the President's Office still described it as a proposed amendment, and its passage and ratification are not confirmed. The government had announced plans for such a law on 30 October 2024.
Penal Code amendment to criminalise gambling tabled
The People's Majlis accepted at first reading a bill amending the Penal Code to classify gambling as a fourth-degree crime with a potential prison sentence of up to four years, and sent it to committee.
Source: 1
Government announces intent for stricter laws
The Attorney General publicly confirmed the government's plans to amend existing laws to introduce even stricter controls on the rise of online gambling and betting.
Source: 2
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 Maldives
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No gambling licences issued | — | — | All gambling banned under Sharia. |
Gambling tax and fees in the Maldives
No legal gambling industry exists despite tourism dominance.
Year-1 cost: Not applicable
No legal framework exists for gambling in the Maldives, so there are no application fees, taxes, or compliance costs of a regulated market.
All gambling is a criminal offense. There is no legal industry.
Which foreign licences the Maldives accepts
The Maldives 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 gambling is a criminal offense. Authorities actively block access to unlicensed sites.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
Due to the complete prohibition of gambling under the Maldivian Penal Code, there is no regulatory framework for iGaming bonuses or promotions. Consequently, all such activities are illegal by extension.
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- All
- Channels off-limits
- All
- Penalties
A proposed amendment to the Penal Code could introduce prison sentences of up to four years for operating a gambling establishment, including online platforms.
The government's enforcement strategy focuses on blocking access to gambling websites and criminalizing participation, rather than issuing fines for specific advertising violations. No public enforcement actions against operators were found in the last 24 months.
Advertising: banned or near-banned
All forms of gambling in the Maldives, including online casino and sports betting, are illegal, and a Penal Code amendment tabled in January 2026 would make gambling a fourth-degree crime. Consequently, all gambling advertising is banned across all channels, with no distinction between sportsbook and online casino offerings because of the overarching prohibition. The Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM) and the Maldives Police Service actively enforce this ban, including through DNS blocking of offshore gambling sites.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Google Ads policy prohibits the promotion of online gambling in countries where it is illegal. The Maldives is explicitly listed as a country where offline gambling advertising is prohibited as of November 19, 2025, and online gambling is also illegal. So no keyword availability or certification is possible for real-money gambling.567 |
| App Store Publishing | Banned | Apple’s App Review Guideline 5.3.4 requires real-money gambling apps to have necessary licensing and permissions and to be geo-restricted to licensed locations. Google Play similarly allows gambling apps only in whitelisted countries with valid gambling licenses; as gambling is illegal in the Maldives, no such licenses exist, and real-money gambling apps cannot be published.8910 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | Since real-money gambling apps cannot be published in the Maldives on either Apple’s App Store or Google Play, promoted listings or Universal App Campaigns for such categories are also prohibited. Advertising policies for both platforms follow local laws, which ban all gambling.8911 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Meta requires prior written permission and valid gaming licenses for gambling-related content, with ads complying strictly with local laws and prohibiting targeting under-18s. As all gambling is illegal in the Maldives, no licenses are available, banning all related advertising, though social casino games without real money rewards are exempt if not targeting minors.121314 |
| TV & Radio | Banned | All forms of gambling are illegal in the Maldives, and all gambling advertising is banned. Consequently, there are no provisions for watershed times, whistle-to-whistle bans, or public broadcaster rules for gambling advertisements, as they are entirely prohibited.71516 |
| Sponsorships | Banned | As all gambling is illegal in the Maldives, any form of sponsorship by gambling entities, including jersey, stadium, or naming rights, is prohibited. There are no recent reforms to phase out existing sponsorships, as none are permitted under the country’s strict prohibition.71516 |
| Digital OOH | Restricted | Because all gambling and its advertising are illegal in the Maldives, digital OOH advertising, including billboards and transit ads, is prohibited. There are no specific regulations regarding school-zone buffers or programmatic platform verification for gambling ads, as they are not allowed at all.71516 |
Channel rules for Maldives 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 the Maldives enforces against unlicensed operators
Enforcement is severe and has intensified significantly. The state combines active technical measures like DNS blocking with a harsh legal framework that, since 2026, includes criminal prosecution and lengthy prison sentences for both operators and players.
- January 2026: A Penal Code amendment making gambling a fourth-degree crime, punishable by up to four years in prison, passed its first reading.
- January 2025: The Attorney General announced plans to amend laws to further strengthen the crackdown on online gambling.
- July 2024: The Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM) began actively blocking the DNS of offshore gambling websites at the request of the police.
Enforcement cases in the Maldives: 4 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Maldives. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- April 2026
Maldives Police Service
Grey-MarketArrestsPolice arrested 38 foreign nationals for engaging in illegal gambling and other offenses, who were subsequently handed over for deportation.
Read-across: The arrest and deportation of individuals for gambling points to a tangible risk to any potential local staff or agents of offshore operators.
- January 2026
Government of Maldives
Grey-MarketLegislation proposedA bill was submitted to the Maldivian parliament to amend the Penal Code, making gambling a criminal offense.
Read-across: The proposed legislation, which includes prison sentences up to four years, signals a significant increase in legal risk for offshore operators targeting the Maldives.
- October 2024
Government of Maldives
Grey-MarketLegislative amendments announcedThe Attorney General announced plans to amend existing laws to introduce stricter controls on the rise of online gambling and betting.
Read-across: This announcement indicates that the government clearly intends to move beyond ISP blocking and build a stronger legal framework against offshore gambling.
- July 2024
Communication Authority of Maldives (CAM)
Grey-MarketISP/Payment blockingAt the request of the police, the CAM began actively blocking websites that facilitate online gambling.
Read-across: This is the start of active, state-level technical measures to disrupt access to grey-market operators, with potential effects on player acquisition and retention.
Licensed operators: none
As of 8 Oct 2026, no operator holds an active online licence in Maldives.
Traps operators hit in the Maldives
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.
Risk criminal prosecution for targeting the market
A Penal Code amendment tabled in January 2026 would explicitly criminalise operating a gambling establishment. Offshore operators targeting the Maldives already face a ban on all gambling, and the amendment proposes prison sentences of up to four years.
Expect aggressive DNS and IP blocking
The Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM), directed by the police, is actively blocking access to gambling websites. This ongoing technical enforcement disrupts player acquisition and retention and makes market access unreliable.
Sources2
Navigate a market with no legal payment processing
As gambling is illegal, no local payment methods are licensed for gambling transactions. Operators must rely on offshore e-wallets or cryptocurrencies, which are not officially recognised and may be scrutinised by authorities for money laundering.
Timeline: rules in force
- July 2024
State begins active DNS blocking of gambling sites
The Maldives Police Service, working with the Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM), began a campaign of actively blocking the DNS of offshore gambling and casino websites.
Source: 2
- Pre-2024
Long-standing prohibition under Sharia Law
For decades, all forms of gambling have been strictly illegal in the Maldives. The prohibition is rooted in Islamic principles and codified in the country's Penal Code.
Source: 18
Operator myths vs reality in the Maldives
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythThe Maldives is a 'grey market' accessible with an offshore licence.
- MythThe government doesn't really enforce the online ban.Reality
False. The Maldives Police Service and Communications Authority have been actively blocking gambling sites since mid-2024, and the Attorney General has publicly pledged to strengthen these measures.
Sources2
- MythThe country's reliance on tourism will eventually lead to regulation.
Markets that work like Maldives
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.
- OmanAI overviewBangladeshAI overviewSomaliaAI overviewYemenAI overviewPakistanAI 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 Maldives
Documents cited on this page
- 1Tribuna.com on criminalization bill
- 2Plus.mv on amending laws
- 3iGaming Today on regulations
- 4Avas.mv on bill
- 5Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads Prohibits Offline Gambling Ads In More Countries
- 6PPC Land: Google expands offline gambling ad restrictions across 35 countries
- 7iGamingToday.com: Gambling Regulations in the Maldives
- 8Shopapper: Fix Apple Gambling App Rejection Guideline 5.3
- 9RichAds Blog: Where Is Online Gambling Legal in 2026: Countries & Laws
- 10College Insider: Country-Specific Regulations for Gambling Apps
- 11Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads Disallows Offline Gambling Ads In More Countries
- 12iGamingToday.com: Meta Updates Rules on Gambling Ads Across Facebook and Instagram
- 13Yogonet: Meta imposes stricter ad compliance rules for gambling operators and affiliates
- 14Covers.com: Meta Moves to Restrict Gambling Ads on Facebook and Instagram
- 15Tribuna.com: Maldives bill seeks to criminalise gambling with prison sentences
- 16MV+: Government Proposes Penal Code Amendment to Criminalise Gambling
- 17Affbox on criminal offense
- 18iGamingToday.com - Maldives Regulations
- 19Freeman Law on Crypto in Maldives
- 20Drift Travel on Tourist Rules
- Maldives Police Service (MPS)
- Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM)
- Tribuna.com - Maldives Bill Seeks to Criminalise Gambling
- Affbox Media - Maldives Has Made Gambling a Criminal Offense
- Pagat.com - Card Games in Maldives
- Visit Maldives - Traditional Games and Sports
- Edition.mv: bill to ban gambling before the Majlis (January 2026, press)
- President's Office: statement on the proposed Penal Code amendment on gambling (8 January 2026)
- PSM News: gambling and running a gambling operation to be Class 4 offences (January 2026, state broadcaster)
- SEE: bill accepted by 50 votes and forwarded to committee (January 2026, press)