Tunisia proposes overhaul of gambling law as existing framework fails to keep pace with digital betting
Draft Bill filed seeks to modernise regulation of gambling venues, online betting platforms and digital gaming applications.
Tunisia.- Tunisia is moving to modernise its gambling law after 23 members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People filed a draft bill seeking to revise Decree-Law No. 74-20 of 1974, which currently governs gambling venues.
Lawmakers say the existing framework is no longer suited to the realities of digital gambling and has failed to keep pace with the growth of online betting platforms, leaving the country’s regulation of modern gaming increasingly outdated.
The lawmakers wrote in the draft bill’s explanatory text on January 19, according to News-Tunisia: “This bill introduces an updated definition of games of chance covering any activity in which ‘chance’ is the decisive factor in obtaining financial or material gains, whether conducted in person or through digital media, platforms and applications.”
These gambling venues include fairs (public entertainment events where games of chance may be held), permanent gaming rooms and state-run lotteries. The 1974 law was designed to regulate these physical, in-person forms of gambling, but lawmakers say it does not adequately address modern digital platforms, online betting and mobile gaming apps, which have become increasingly popular in Tunisia.
Under the proposal, gambling regulations would be expanded to explicitly include sports betting platforms, virtual casinos and mobile gambling applications, sectors that have largely operated in a legal grey area.
The legislative text added: “Article 3 explicitly states that any gambling activity conducted online or via modern means constitutes an ‘illegal activity’ punishable under the legislation in force.”
Stronger rules, bigger reach
The draft consists of five articles designed to strengthen control over gambling and online betting. It not only expands definitions but broadly prohibits the organisation, management or promotion of games of chance, with only tightly controlled exceptions. Penalties are proposed not just for operators, but also for intermediaries and service providers facilitating illegal gambling.
The draft law would also require internet service providers and electronic payment institutions to block access to prohibited gambling sites and prevent financial transactions linked to unlicensed operators.
Supporters of the reform say the updated framework is necessary to protect vulnerable groups, combat gambling addiction and reduce the social and economic harms linked to unregulated betting.
If adopted, the legislation could mark a significant shift in Tunisia’s gambling landscape, signalling a tougher stance on digital gambling and aligning the country’s regulatory environment more closely with modern oversight practices.
