Egypt is cracking down on online gambling after lawmakers attempt to tackle a complex bit of legislation that prohibits citizens from betting in physical locations but has caused officials issues with regulating the practice down the years.
The country has long banned gambling for its citizens, but its legal framework was established before the rise of online betting. Existing laws invalidate gambling contracts, criminalize gambling activity and permit casino gambling only for foreign passport holders at licensed venues.
While online gambling is also prohibited for Egyptians, enforcement has struggled to keep pace with digital platforms. Many players continue to access offshore betting sites using VPNs and foreign payment methods, exploiting the absence of legislation that explicitly regulates online gambling. That legal gap has prompted repeated calls from lawmakers to tackle the issue once more.
Amendments to explicitly criminalize online gambling
In May 2026, Ahmed Badawi, who chairs the House Communications and Information Technology Committee, said the government was expected to submit legislation that would specifically outlaw online betting platforms.
The amendments would, for the first time, explicitly classify electronic gambling as a criminal offense. They would also significantly increase penalties, with the harshest punishments, targeting organized criminal groups and large-scale fraud schemes, carrying potential life sentences.
In February, Badawi confirmed the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were working to block roughly 80% of online betting applications using technical assessments compiled in coordination with the House Communications and Information Technology Committee.
The crackdown has already targeted major offshore operators. Russian-licensed 1xBet was removed from Google Play and Apple’s App Store in Egypt in September 2024 following complaints and recommendations from the parliamentary committee. Badawi said in early 2026 that authorities were pursuing similar action against MelBet as part of a wider effort to curb access to online betting platforms.
Despite regulatory crackdown, gambling forecast to grow in Egypt
Despite the impending crackdown, Egypt’s gambling market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.9% between 2026 and 2032, driven by tourism and continued investment in hotels and resorts, according to research conducted earlier in the year by 6Wresearch.
The report said the country’s casino industry remains closely tied to international tourism because gambling is largely confined to licensed casinos operating within hotels and resort complexes for foreign visitors. Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada remain the country’s main gaming destinations.
Egypt welcomed about 19 million international visitors in 2025, generating more than $18.8 billion in tourism revenue, according to the report. Analysts said sustained visitor demand and ongoing investment in hospitality infrastructure are expected to support steady growth in the casino sector through 2032.
As Egypt expands hotel developments, resort upgrades and integrated entertainment destinations, casinos are increasingly being positioned as part of broader tourism offerings alongside accommodation, dining and leisure activities, the report said.
Questions remain over enforcement measures
Questions remain over how Egypt would enforce the proposed measures, particularly against users accessing offshore gambling sites through virtual private networks (VPNs). It is also unclear what obligations banks, fintech companies and digital payment providers would face if they are found to have processed transactions linked to illegal gambling platforms.
Some draft proposals have suggested penalties could extend to individuals who access banned gambling websites, although no official government legislation released to date includes such provisions. The scope of liability for players, payment intermediaries and technology providers is expected to be a key issue as lawmakers finalize the reforms.
As of late June, amendments to Egypt’s Cybercrime Law had yet to be formally scheduled for parliamentary debate, despite earlier indications they would be introduced after Eid al-Adha. If passed largely in their current form, the legislation would mark a significant shift from Egypt’s historically limited enforcement approach to a more comprehensive legal framework targeting offshore operators, intermediaries and the financial networks supporting online gambling.
