Key Points
- Egyptian lawmakers are preparing Cybercrime Law revisions to explicitly outlaw digital betting platforms
- Maximum sentences could include life imprisonment for cases involving organized criminal activity
- Platforms including 1xBet and MelBet have been removed from Egyptian app stores
- Proposed legislation includes three levels of penalties targeting operators, intermediaries, and payment processors
- The executive branch’s official draft has not yet reached parliamentary consideration
Egyptian authorities are advancing plans to criminalize online betting operations, with proposed legislation that would establish some of the region’s most severe penalties for digital gambling.
While Egypt has historically prohibited gambling activities for its citizens, current statutes were designed primarily for land-based establishments. Digital betting has never been explicitly covered under Egyptian legislation, creating a regulatory void that permitted international platforms to serve Egyptian customers via VPN services and overseas payment systems.
Proposed Legislative Reforms
During May 2026, Ahmed Badawi, who leads the House Communications and Information Technology Committee, announced that government officials are developing Cybercrime Law amendments. The forthcoming legislation would specifically identify electronic gambling and establish enhanced punishments.
Badawi has suggested that maximum penalties — reserved for situations involving organized crime networks and extensive fraud operations — may include life sentences.
A complementary proposal introduced in January 2025 by MP Martha Mahrous, serving as the committee’s deputy chair, outlined a graduated penalty framework. Her draft legislation specifies that platform operators or sponsors could receive prison terms of two to five years alongside monetary penalties ranging from EGP 5 million to EGP 10 million. Individuals acting as betting agents would face identical imprisonment terms with fines between EGP 1 million and EGP 5 million. Those facilitating financial transactions could receive up to six months imprisonment plus fines from EGP 50,000 to EGP 200,000.
The administration is unlikely to implement the Mahrous proposal unchanged. Badawi stated that government authorities are developing an alternative version, potentially featuring more stringent sentencing provisions.
Enforcement Measures Already Launched
Regulatory action has proceeded independently of new legal frameworks. During September 2024, 1xBet was deleted from both Google Play and the App Store within Egypt after receiving complaints and parliamentary directives. The Russian-licensed platform had conducted extensive marketing campaigns utilizing influencers and digital media channels.
By early 2026, comparable enforcement targeted MelBet. Badawi stated then that prohibited applications would face permanent exclusion.
Reports from February 2026 indicated that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were collaborating to disable approximately 80% of digital betting applications.
Badawi has emphasized that the objective focuses on eliminating what officials characterize as damaging services rather than imposing broad technological restrictions.
Unanswered questions persist regarding VPN accessibility, individual user accountability, and expected protocols for payment providers to detect and prevent betting-related transactions. No official documentation addressing these implementation details has been released publicly.
Badawi previously suggested the government’s draft would be presented following Eid al-Adha in June. Through late June 2026, no proposal has been listed for parliamentary review.
Should the legislation advance in its anticipated form, Egypt would establish among the most restrictive digital betting frameworks across the Middle East region.
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