Egypt Moves to Criminalise Online Betting Under Cybercrime Law

Egypt’s parliament is preparing amendments to the country’s Cybercrime Law that would explicitly criminalise online betting applications, with penalties reaching life imprisonment in the most serious cases. Ahmed Badawi, chair of the House Communications and Information Technology Committee, confirmed in May 2026 that the government is expected to submit the amendments, which would name electronic gambling directly for the first time. If passed, Egypt would hold one of the strictest online betting enforcement regimes in the region.

Cybercrime Amendments Would Name Electronic Gambling Directly

Egypt has long prohibited gambling for its citizens, but its rules were written for physical venues rather than digital platforms. The Civil Code voids gambling contracts, the Penal Code criminalises gambling activity, and hotel-casino legislation permits only a narrow exception for foreign passport holders in licensed venues. Online gambling remains illegal for locals, yet enforcement has lagged, and many Egyptians still reach offshore sportsbooks through VPNs and foreign payment channels.

The proposed amendments would close that gap by naming electronic gambling explicitly and introducing tougher penalties, according to iGaming Business. Maximum sentences could reach life imprisonment in cases involving organised criminal networks and large-scale fraud.

Regulators Have Already Moved to Block 80% of Betting Apps

In February 2026, Badawi said the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were working to block roughly 80% of online betting applications, based on technical reports prepared with his committee. Russian-licensed 1xBet was removed from Google Play and the App Store in September 2024 after parliamentary complaints, and Badawi said similar action was taken against MelBet in early 2026.

A separate bill from MP Martha Mahrous, the committee’s deputy chair, offers the clearest indication of how penalties might be structured. Tabled in January 2025, her draft sets a three-tier scheme: those running or sponsoring platforms would face two to five years’ imprisonment and fines of EGP5 million to EGP10 million; agents acting for bettors two to five years and fines of EGP1 million to EGP5 million; and payment facilitators up to six months and fines between EGP50,000 and EGP200,000. Badawi has confirmed the government is preparing its own text rather than adopting the Mahrous bill, which has not advanced to a full House debate.

Payment Channels Remain the Hardest Gap to Close

The unresolved question is how any final law will treat the financial intermediaries that keep offshore betting accessible. The Mahrous draft assumes a knowledge-based standard for facilitators, but banks and electronic payment providers have not publicly explained how they would apply it in practice, according to iGaming Business. This is because offshore platforms reach Egyptian users through VPNs and foreign payment rails; enforcement depends on identifying betting-linked transactions as they move through otherwise legitimate financial systems. Payment providers that cannot detect and flag those flows face liability they are not yet equipped to meet.

Transaction Monitoring Becomes the Compliance Front Line

Financial institutions operating in Egypt will need the ability to screen and classify transactions tied to prohibited betting activity, not simply rely on app-store takedowns that users circumvent. That requires automated transaction screening that can identify high-risk payment patterns, paired with identity verification that confirms who is moving funds and from where.

Shufti’s transaction screening and AML screening capabilities, which cover 235+ countries and territories, help payment providers and banks flag suspicious flows and meet the knowledge-based obligations that legislation of this kind imposes. Institutions preparing for tighter enforcement can explore Shufti’s transaction screening solution or request a demo to assess readiness.