In short: In most of the Middle East and the Gulf, online gambling is not legal: the large majority of countries prohibit gambling outright, often on the basis of Islamic law, and offer no licence for online casinos or betting. The main exceptions are the United Arab Emirates, which created a federal commercial gaming regulator in 2023 and licensed its first online operator in 2025, and Israel and Lebanon, where online play is restricted to state-controlled channels. Rules and penalties differ widely, so check the individual country guide before relying on any summary.
Key points
- Prohibition is the dominant model. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the Palestinian territories license no casinos, betting or online gambling.
- The United Arab Emirates is the region’s only licensing regime for commercial gaming. Gambling remains a federal criminal offence, but activity covered by a licence from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) is lawful.
- Israel permits only two state-controlled operators, for lotteries and sports betting. Lebanon relies on a single casino concession whose online platform is legally contested.
- Jordan bans gambling but authorises one charitable lottery. Syria’s state lottery has held no draw since December 2024.
- In several countries players, not only operators, can be prosecuted, including under cybercrime laws in Oman and Iran.
- A licence from another country does not make an offshore site lawful anywhere in the region, and several states block gambling websites.
- Iran, Syria and Yemen are subject to international sanctions or FATF monitoring, which further restricts cross-border payments.
How gambling is regulated across the Middle East and the Gulf
The region’s gambling laws fall into four broad groups. Most countries prohibit gambling entirely. A small number allow narrow state-controlled exceptions within a general ban. One country, the United Arab Emirates, has built a commercial licensing system. And in several jurisdictions affected by conflict or divided authority, inherited penal codes remain the main source of law, with little or no recent enforcement data.
Prohibition grounded in Islamic law and penal codes
In Saudi Arabia, gambling is prohibited in all forms under Sharia, which the Basic Law of Governance requires courts to apply. There are no casinos, no national lottery and no licensed betting, and most gambling offences carry discretionary (ta’zir) penalties set by the courts. The Anti-Cyber Crime Law of 2007 targets the preparation, publication and promotion of gambling sites, with penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment and fines of up to SAR 3 million. The only lawful exceptions are narrow: licensed commercial prize draws that require no purchase, and horse racing without betting.
Qatar criminalises both playing and organising gambling under Articles 274 to 277 of its Penal Code (Law No. 11 of 2004). The provisions do not distinguish online from offline play. Bahrain prohibits gambling under its 1976 Penal Code, identified in its WTO notifications as Article 308, has banned the import of gambling machines since 2018, and has prosecuted players as well as organisers. Kuwait also prohibits all forms of gambling, land-based and online, although its guide cites no specific statute.
Oman bases its ban on the Penal Law of 2018 and a new cybercrime law, Royal Decree No. 61/2026, which makes using a website or information technology for gambling an offence for players and operators alike. Iran prohibits all gambling under Book Five of the Islamic Penal Code; a February 2023 law rewrote Articles 705 to 711 to cover online gambling and betting explicitly, including promotion and the provision of payment instruments.
Inherited and older statutes
Several countries still rely on mid-twentieth-century penal codes. Iraq penalises gambling venues, their staff and players found there under Article 389 of the Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, and treats gambling contracts as void under its Civil Code. According to a 2021 investigation cited in the Iraq guide, the Kurdistan Region has issued no gambling laws of its own, so the federal Penal Code applies there, enforced by regional bodies. Syria prohibits games of chance under the 1949 Penal Code; the Constitutional Declaration of 13 March 2025, issued after the change of authority in December 2024, keeps existing legislation in force.
In the Palestinian territories, the guide describes a patchwork without a single gambling statute. In the West Bank, administered by the Palestinian Authority, Articles 393 to 398 of the Jordanian Penal Code No. 16 of 1960 apply; in Gaza, where Hamas has exercised de facto control since 2007, the Penal Code No. 74 of 1936 applies. A 2018 cybercrime decree-law penalises creating or promoting online gambling. The territories’ only casino, in Jericho, has been closed since 2000. The guide takes no position on the status of East Jerusalem.
Yemen has no licensed gambling. Its Constitution makes Islamic Sharia the source of all legislation, but the guide could not confirm an express gambling offence in the 1994 Crimes and Penalties law. Authority is divided between the internationally recognised government’s Presidential Leadership Council, based in Aden, and the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement, which holds Sana’a and much of the north; the guide takes no position on legitimacy or recognition.
State-controlled exceptions
Jordan follows a prohibition model under the same 1960 Penal Code, Articles 393 to 398, but permits lotteries authorised by the competent authority. The only one is the Jordanian Charitable Lottery, run by the General Union of Jordanian Charitable Societies under a 2019 regulation and the Ministry of Social Development’s framework.
Israel prohibits “prohibited games”, lotteries and betting under sections 224 to 235 of the Penal Law 5737-1977, but makes two state-controlled exceptions: Mifal HaPais, which runs lotteries under a Finance Ministry permit, and the Israel Sports Betting Board, which runs sports betting under a 1967 statute. There are no casinos.
Lebanon uses a monopoly model. Law No. 417 of 1995 granted a single concessionaire the exclusive right to operate gambling at the Maameltein casino for 30 years; the concession is widely reported to expire in 2026, and no published renewal decision had been found as of October 2026. Gambling outside authorised channels is unlawful, and the Internal Security Forces run an anti-gambling bureau.
A federal licensing regime in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates combines a criminal ban with a licensing exception. Gambling is an offence under the federal Crimes and Penalties Law of 2021, gambling contracts are void under the Civil Transactions Law, and the cybercrime law penalises gambling websites “other than the authorized”. The GCGRA, announced on 3 September 2023 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, describes its remit as “exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all commercial gaming activities and facilities in the UAE”, covering lotteries, casino resorts, internet gaming and sports wagering. Individual emirates still decide whether gaming is permitted locally. As of early October 2026 its register listed one lottery operator, one integrated casino resort licensee in Ras Al Khaimah due to open in 2027, and one online gaming and sports wagering licensee, alongside a list of licensed vendors.
Online gambling
Across most of the region there is no legal route to licensing an online casino, sportsbook or poker site. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iran, Syria and the Palestinian territories treat online gambling as prohibited, and Iraq and Yemen have no framework for authorising it. The guides consistently note that a licence issued elsewhere gives an operator no protection under local law.
The UAE is the exception among Gulf states. Its first licensed online gaming and sports wagering site went live on 15 December 2025, open only to adults aged 21 and over located in the UAE. The GCGRA states that unlicensed commercial gaming “is illegal and will lead to severe penalties, including criminal penalties”, and has warned that people who play with unlicensed operators “may equally be subject to penalties”.
Elsewhere, lawful online play is confined to state channels. In Israel only Mifal HaPais and the Israel Sports Betting Board may offer gambling online, and only their own products; no online casino can be licensed. In Jordan the only lawful remote product is the electronic issue of the charitable lottery. In Lebanon the Ministry of Finance licensed the concessionaire’s online platform in 2022, but its legal basis is disputed: an April 2025 Audit Bureau opinion reportedly found that the concessionaire lacked legal standing to organise online gambling. A draft online gaming law creating an independent regulator was discussed by a parliamentary subcommittee in June 2025 but had not been adopted by October 2026.
Website blocking is common. Saudi Arabia filters gambling sites through the Communications, Space and Technology Commission; Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has managed blocking since 2016; Israel’s district courts have been able to order ISPs to block illegal gambling sites since 2017; Lebanon has blocked unauthorised sites since at least 2013; and Iran blocks sites through a prosecutor-level filtering committee. Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology began blocking online gambling and betting sites on 14 June 2026. In Oman, Jordan and the Palestinian territories, cybercrime laws allow court-ordered blocking, although the guides found no published gambling blocklists. Iraq’s federal Ministry of Communications and the Kurdistan Regional Government have both acted against specific platforms.
Payment controls also play a role. Israel restricts banks and card issuers from processing gambling payments, Iran criminalises the provision of payment instruments for gambling, and international sanctions and FATF listings limit payment routes into Iran, Syria and Yemen. There is no regional gambling regulator or cooperation body; anti-money laundering cooperation runs through the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), and Israel through FATF itself.
Taxes and player protection
Because most countries license no gambling, gaming taxes are rare. The Gulf states with prohibition regimes, including Qatar and Bahrain, have no gambling tax, and the UAE levies no personal income tax, so players there do not pay tax on prizes. UAE licensees pay federal corporate tax, reportedly 9%, and the lottery operator pays an undisclosed levy; the GCGRA has not published a general gaming tax schedule. Oman’s new personal income tax, due from 1 January 2028, covers prize income from licensed draws but does not tax gambling winnings.
Israel taxes gambling and prize winnings at a final 35%, with exemption thresholds for smaller wins and no offset of losses, and residents are taxable on winnings abroad. The Palestinian income tax law requires a 10% withholding on prizes and lottery winnings. Lebanon has no separate gaming tax; the state takes a share of the casino concessionaire’s revenue, reported at around 50%. In Jordan, prizes in the charitable lottery may not exceed 40% of an issue’s value, and part of the profits funds disability services.
Player protection measures are limited. In the UAE, the GCGRA has published a Responsible Gaming Framework, and licensed online play includes deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion, although no national cross-operator self-exclusion register or dedicated helpline had been identified by October 2026. The guides for Oman and Yemen found no national self-exclusion scheme or gambling helpline. Advertising controls in the region are generally framed as criminal offences: promoting gambling sites is an offence in Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Palestinian territories and the UAE, and Kuwait punishes broadcasting gambling advertisements.
Recent developments (2025–2026)
- 13 March 2025, Syria: The Constitutional Declaration keeps existing legislation, including the Penal Code’s gambling provisions, in force. State lottery draws were reported suspended indefinitely in April 2025.
- April–June 2025, Lebanon: An Audit Bureau opinion questioned the casino concessionaire’s standing to run online gambling, and a parliamentary subcommittee discussed a draft online gaming law on 17 June 2025. Criminal proceedings involving the concessionaire’s management followed later in 2025; in June 2026 the most serious charges were dropped.
- April 2025 and June 2026, Israel: Proposals to allow live (in-play) betting through the Israel Sports Betting Board were debated; as of June 2026 they had not been approved.
- September–October 2025, Iran: UN sanctions were reimposed on 28 September 2025, followed by EU and UK measures; in June 2026 FATF kept Iran on its call-for-action list.
- 15 December 2025, United Arab Emirates: The first GCGRA-licensed online gaming and sports wagering site went live. The authority’s first chief executive reportedly left the same month.
- December 2025, Iraq: The federal Ministry of Communications banned online Ludo, citing its betting structure.
- June 2026, Oman: Royal Decree No. 61/2026 (issued 1 June, in force 8 June) replaced the 2011 cybercrime law, cutting the maximum penalty for online gambling to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to RO 1,000.
- 14 June 2026, Syria: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology began blocking online gambling and betting sites targeting users in Syria, pending a committee review.
Country-by-country summary
| Country | Legal model | Online gambling | Regulator |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | Federal ban with licensing exception | Licensed (GCGRA; one licensee) | GCGRA |
| Saudi Arabia | Sharia-based prohibition | Prohibited | None; courts and CST filtering |
| Qatar | Penal Code prohibition | Prohibited | None; Ministry of Interior enforces |
| Kuwait | General prohibition | Prohibited | None named |
| Bahrain | Penal Code prohibition | Prohibited; sites blocked | None; TRA blocks sites |
| Oman | Penal and cybercrime law prohibition | Prohibited | None; Royal Oman Police |
| Jordan | Prohibition; charitable lottery exception | Prohibited (lottery e-tickets aside) | None; Ministry of Social Development (lottery) |
| Lebanon | Single casino concession | State operator only (contested) | Ministry of Finance |
| Iraq | Penal Code prohibition | Not licensed (no framework) | None; police and ministries |
| Israel | Prohibition with state operators | State operator only | Ministry of Finance |
| Palestine | Prohibition under inherited penal codes | Prohibited for operators | None; police and prosecution |
| Iran | Islamic Penal Code prohibition | Prohibited | None; judiciary and police |
| Syria | Penal Code prohibition | Prohibited; sites blocked 2026 | None; police and courts |
| Yemen | Sharia-based; no licensing | Not licensed (no framework) | None |
For neighbouring countries, see our guides to Egypt and Turkey, or browse the full country directory.
Sources and further reading
Each country guide linked above lists its own primary sources.
- Financial Action Task Force, “Black and grey” lists (2026; accessed 14 October 2026).
- Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (Malta), FATF Public Statements – 19th June 2026 (2026; accessed 14 October 2026).
- Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force, Follow-up reports (accessed 14 October 2026).
- Reed Smith, GCGRA launches website and issues lottery licence (2024; accessed 14 October 2026).
- Gulf Business, UAE rolls the dice with first lottery licence, unveils new gaming rules (2024; accessed 14 October 2026).
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, Treasury Implements President’s Termination of Syria Sanctions (2025; accessed 14 October 2026).
- Hunton Andrews Kurth, US Terminates Comprehensive Sanctions on Syria and Eases Trade Restrictions (2025; accessed 14 October 2026).
- EUR-Lex, Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1975 concerning restrictive measures against Iran (2025; accessed 14 October 2026).
- Security Council Report, Fact Sheet on Resolution 2140 (2014) Yemen Sanctions Committee (2024; accessed 14 October 2026).
- Freedom House, Freedom on the Net 2025: Iran (2025; accessed 14 October 2026).
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026.
