Egypt Parliament Advances Measures to Criminalize Online Betting with Harsh Penalties

Egypt's legislative body is advancing measures to explicitly criminalize online betting platforms through proposed changes to its Cybercrime Law. Senior parliamentarians indicate that these amendments could introduce severe penalties, with the most serious offenses potentially resulting in life imprisonment. This move signifies a decisive shift in Egypt's approach to digital gambling.

While gambling has long been prohibited for Egyptian nationals, existing laws were predominantly designed for land-based establishments. This historical framework left a noticeable gap regarding online betting activities, allowing many Egyptians to access offshore sportsbooks using VPNs and international payment methods, despite the general prohibition. For years, parliamentary figures have voiced concerns over Arabic-language platforms operating under foreign licenses, highlighting the need for updated legislation.

Ahmed Badawi, who chairs the House Communications and Information Technology Committee, revealed in May 2026 that the government plans to formally introduce these amendments to the Cybercrime Law. These changes are set to explicitly target and criminalize online betting applications. The proposed legislation not only intends to specifically name electronic gambling but also to impose much stricter punishments, reserving the maximum life imprisonment sentences for cases involving organized criminal networks and significant fraudulent activities.

Even before the new laws are enacted, authorities have been actively working to curb online betting. In February 2026, Badawi stated that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were collaborating to block approximately 80% of online betting applications. This effort followed technical assessments conducted with his committee. Noteworthy actions include the blocking of Russian-licensed 1xBet from major app stores in September 2024, following numerous complaints. Badawi also confirmed similar steps were being taken against MelBet in early 2026, as part of a wider campaign to shut down such services. He has consistently emphasized that the objective is to target harmful services, not technology itself, vowing that blocked apps will not be permitted to return and new legislation will close existing loopholes.

Providing further insight into potential penalty structures, Martha Mahrous, the committee's deputy chair, introduced her own bill to criminalize electronic betting in January 2025. During a television interview, Mahrous underscored the grave dangers posed by the proliferation of electronic betting, contending that current laws are inadequate. She highlighted a "kind of addiction, and scientifically we treat the young person as addicted to these practices." Her draft, publicized by local media, suggests a tiered penalty system: agents or managers acting for bettors could face two to five years in prison and fines ranging from EGP1 million ($20,099) to EGP5 million; payment facilitators could receive up to six months' imprisonment and fines between EGP50,000 and EGP200,000; and those operating or sponsoring platforms could face two to five years in jail and fines from EGP5 million to EGP10 million.

While Badawi has since confirmed that the government is drafting its own amendments rather than adopting Mahrous’s text directly, both initiatives signal a strong legislative consensus within the committee. The ultimate government text still needs to address critical aspects such as user access via VPNs and the precise liability of payment intermediaries. Mahrous’s draft proposes a knowledge-based standard for facilitators, but the practical implementation by banks and electronic payment providers remains undefined. Furthermore, early discussions hint at potential fines for individual users who continue to access banned applications, though no official text detailing user-side liability has been released. The parliamentary journal has not yet scheduled a date for debating or voting on the government’s cybercrime amendments, which Badawi had previously indicated would be submitted after June's Eid al-Adha.

Should the government's final legislation align even loosely with the stringent measures being discussed, Egypt is poised to establish one of the most rigorous online betting regulatory frameworks in the Middle East. This would transition the nation's long-standing ban on gambling from a loosely enforced prohibition to a system supported by a robust digital enforcement mechanism, directly targeting online betting and its financial support channels. Operators, local agents, and payment facilitators could face substantial prison terms and multi-million-pound fines, marking a significant escalation in regulatory enforcement.