Palestine for operators: illegal to offer
All gambling is prohibited in Palestine, based on Sharia law and reinforced by criminal statutes such as the 1960 Jordanian Penal Code still applicable in the West Bank.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Palestine is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker · Lottery | Banned |
Regulator and player protection in Palestine
Heads-up for operators
3 items
Speculation on Casino Reopening Surfaces
Occasional media reports and discussions surface regarding the potential reopening of the Oasis Casino, but authorities take no concrete action.
Source: 1
Unregulated Online 'Grey Market' Emerges
The rise of the internet leads to a small number of Palestinians accessing offshore gambling sites, an activity not specifically covered by older laws but still considered illegal under religious principles.
Source: 2
No reform contemplated.
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 Palestine
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No gambling licences issued | — | — | Oasis Casino-Jericho dormant since 2000. |
Gambling tax and fees in Palestine
No legal gambling industry.
Year-1 cost: $0
There is no regulated gambling market in Palestine, and therefore no licensing or compliance costs.
No legal framework exists for gambling operations.
Which foreign licences Palestine accepts
Palestine recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BannedMalta (MGA) · United Kingdom (UKGC) · Gibraltar (GRA) · Isle of Man (GSC) · Curaçao (CGB) · Kahnawake (KGCB) · Anjouan · Alderney (AGCC)
All offshore gambling is illegal under Palestinian law; foreign licences are not recognized.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
Due to the complete prohibition of gambling in Palestine, there is no regulatory framework governing bonuses, promotions, or advertising for iGaming. All such activities are considered illegal as components of a banned practice, and there is no specific regulator to enforce rules.
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- All verticals
All player-facing promotions are banned as they are components of a prohibited activity.
- Channels off-limits
- All channels
- Penalties
There are no specific statutory penalties for bonus-ad violations; enforcement would fall under broader laws related to illegal activities.
There have been zero documented enforcement actions against online operators or players. The government's focus is on illegal local land-based operations, not cross-border online activity.
How Palestine enforces against unlicensed operators
Enforcement is very low and not a strategic priority. Authorities focus on shutting down local, physical gambling dens rather than prosecuting individual players for accessing offshore websites. There is no evidence of ISP blocking, payment blocking, or legal action against foreign operators.
- No reported cases of individual players being prosecuted for online gambling.
- Enforcement is described as focusing on 'unauthorized local gambling.'
- The online space is considered a 'legal grey area' largely ignored by authorities.
Licensed operators: none
As of 2 Jun 2026, no operator holds an active online licence in Palestine.
Traps operators hit in Palestine
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.
Operating in a Prohibited Market
The primary pitfall is the absolute illegality of all gambling. Any operator targeting Palestine is engaging in an illicit activity. This carries risks of payment blockages, reputational damage, and the inability to enforce any contracts or resolve disputes legally within the territory.
Sources5
Lack of Financial Infrastructure
Mainstream payment processors and e-wallets largely do not service Palestine for gambling transactions. Operators must rely on less stable methods like cryptocurrencies or international cards, which face a high risk of rejection, and this creates significant operational friction.
Sources2
Zero Legal Recourse
There is no legal framework for gambling, so an operator has no legal standing to recover player debts, challenge payment chargebacks, or resolve any commercial disputes through the Palestinian legal system. The operator bears all risk.
Sources5
Timeline: rules in force
- 2026
Legal Status Remains Prohibited
The legal situation remains static. All gambling is prohibited, with no active legislative proposals for reform.
Source: 5
- 2000
Oasis Casino Closes Permanently
The casino ceases operations following the outbreak of the Second Intifada, which prevented its Israeli clientele from visiting.
Source: 7
- 1998
Oasis Casino Opens in Jericho
The Oasis Casino opens as a unique, politically sanctioned project primarily for Israeli tourists, who were barred from gambling in their own country.
Source: 8
- 1960
Jordanian Penal Code Criminalizes Gambling Houses
Jordanian Penal Code No. 16 is enacted, including articles that criminalise operating gambling houses. It remains one of the legal bases for prohibition in the West Bank.
Source: 9
Operator myths vs reality in Palestine
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythPalestine is an unregulated market ripe for entry.Reality
It is a prohibited market, not an unregulated one. The absence of a complex regulatory body does not imply permission. Operating here is illegal and exposes a brand to significant reputational and financial risk.
Sources5
- MythA Curaçao or MGA license provides legal cover to accept Palestinian players.Reality
Palestinian law does not recognize any foreign gambling licenses. From the local perspective, an operator with a Curaçao license is just as illegal as one with no license at all.
Sources6
- MythSince enforcement is low, it is a low-risk market.Reality
The lack of active enforcement today is not a guarantee for the future. The primary risks are not legal but financial and operational, including the inability to offer stable payment solutions and the complete lack of legal recourse.
Sources2
Markets that work like Palestine
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.
- IraqAI overviewKuwaitAI overviewSaudi ArabiaAI overviewBahrainAI 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 Palestine
Documents cited on this page
- 1The Jewish Independent - Jericho’s casino may reopen after 21 years
- 2iGaming Today - Palestine iGaming Market Research Report
- 3iGaming Today Regulation
- 4iGaming Today Market Research
- 5iGaming Today - Gambling Regulation in Palestine
- 6World Casino Directory - Palestinian Territory Online Casinos
- 7Green Olive Tours - The Tale of Jericho's Oasis Casino
- 8The Guardian - High rollers arrive at desert casino
- 9Jordanian Penal Code of 1960 (English Translation)