Egypt weighs stricter penalties for online betting offences
Under current legislation, gambling is largely prohibited for Egyptian citizens.
Egypt.- Egypt is preparing to tighten its approach to online gambling through planned amendments to the country’s Cybercrime Law, a move that could introduce some of the region’s toughest penalties for digital betting operators, facilitators and related networks. The proposed changes follow years of concern among lawmakers over the availability of offshore betting platforms to Egyptian users despite the country’s long-standing restrictions on gambling.
Under current legislation, gambling is largely prohibited for Egyptian citizens. While licensed casinos are permitted to serve foreign passport holders under specific regulations, online gambling remains outside the scope of existing laws, allowing many offshore operators to reach local players through virtual private networks (VPNs) and alternative payment channels.
Ahmed Badawi, chair of the House Communications and Information Technology Committee, said in May that the government planned to propose legislative amendments that would criminalise the use of online betting apps. He said the revised framework would introduce tougher sanctions, including the possibility of life imprisonment in cases involving large-scale fraud and organised crime. In February, Badawi said 80 per cent of betting applications identified through technical assessments were being targeted for blocking by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.
Lawmakers are also examining how penalties could be applied across different parts of the online gambling ecosystem. In January 2025, Martha Mahrous, committee deputy chair, introduced a separate proposal focused on electronic betting offences. The draft outlined prison terms of between two and five years for agents and individuals acting on behalf of bettors, alongside fines ranging from EGP1m (US$20,200) to EGP5m (US$101,000). Operators, sponsors and platform managers would face fines of EGP5m (US$101,000) to EGP10m (US$202,000) and prison terms of up to five years. Payment facilitators could face shorter custodial sentences and fines of between EGP50,000 (US$1,010) and EGP200,000 (US$4,040).
Parliament has not yet scheduled a debate on the government’s amendments. However, if adopted, the measures would significantly strengthen Egypt’s enforcement tools against online gambling and the financial networks that support it.
