TLDR Egypt’s parliament is drafting amendments to its Cybercrime Law to explicitly ban online betting apps Penalties could reach life imprisonment in the most serious cases involving organised crime Around 80% of online betting apps are already being blocked, including 1xBet and MelBet A three-tier penalty structure proposed by MP Martha Mahrous targets operators, agents, and payment facilitators VPN access and liability for payment providers remain unresolved in current drafts
Egypt is preparing some of the toughest online betting laws in the Middle East. Parliament is drafting amendments to the Cybercrime Law that would explicitly criminalise online betting apps and the financial networks behind them.
The country has banned gambling for its own citizens for decades. But those laws were written for physical venues. They never addressed online betting directly, leaving a legal gap that offshore sportsbooks have used to reach Egyptian users.
Many Egyptians currently access foreign betting platforms through VPNs and overseas payment channels. Existing laws have no specific provisions targeting these digital routes, and that gap has drawn years of complaints from parliament.
What the New Law Could Look Like
In May 2026, Ahmed Badawi, chair of the House Communications and Information Technology Committee, confirmed the government is preparing amendments that would name electronic gambling explicitly.
The penalties being discussed are severe. In the most serious cases — those involving organised criminal networks and large-scale fraud — maximum sentences could reach life imprisonment.
A separate bill tabled by MP Martha Mahrous in January 2025 offers the clearest picture of how penalties might be structured. Her draft sets out three tiers.
Agents and managers acting for bettors would face two to five years in prison and fines between EGP1 million and EGP5 million. Payment facilitators could face up to six months in prison and fines