TLDR
- Egypt’s parliament is drafting amendments to the Cybercrime Law to explicitly criminalise online betting apps
- Penalties could reach life imprisonment in the most serious cases involving organised crime
- Apps like 1xBet and MelBet have already been blocked in Egypt
- A three-tier penalty structure targets platform operators, payment facilitators, and agents
- A final government draft has not yet been scheduled for parliamentary debate
Egypt is moving closer to making online betting a criminal offence, with lawmakers drafting new legislation that could impose some of the toughest penalties in the region.
The country has long banned gambling for its own citizens. But existing laws were written with physical venues in mind. Online betting has never been directly addressed in Egyptian law, and that gap has allowed offshore platforms to reach Egyptian users through VPNs and foreign payment channels.
Tougher Laws in the Pipeline
In May 2026, Ahmed Badawi, chair of the House Communications and Information Technology Committee, confirmed that the government is preparing amendments to the Cybercrime Law. The new text would name electronic gambling directly and introduce stronger penalties.
Badawi has indicated that the most serious cases — those involving organised criminal networks and large-scale fraud — could carry sentences as long as life imprisonment.
A separate bill, tabled in January 2025 by MP Martha Mahrous, the committee’s deputy chair, laid out a three-tier penalty structure. Under her draft, those running or sponsoring platforms could face two to five years in prison and fines of EGP 5 million to EGP 10 million. Agents acting for bettors could face the same prison term with fines of EGP 1 million to EGP 5 million. Payment facilitators face up to six months in prison and fines between EGP 50,000 and EGP 200,000.
The government is not expected to adopt the Mahrous bill directly. Badawi said the executive is preparing its own version, which could go further on sentencing.
Blocking Campaign Already Underway
Enforcement action has not waited for new legislation. In September 2024, 1xBet was removed from Google Play and the App Store in Egypt following complaints and parliamentary recommendations. The Russian-licensed operator had promoted itself heavily through influencers and social media.
In early 2026, similar action was taken against MelBet. Badawi said at the time that blocked apps would not be permitted to return.
The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were reported in February 2026 to be working to block around 80% of online betting applications.
Badawi has been clear that the goal is not to restrict technology broadly, but to shut down what he describes as harmful services.
Open questions remain around VPN access, user-side liability, and how payment providers would be expected to identify and block transactions linked to betting. No official text addressing those issues has been published.
Badawi had indicated the government draft would be submitted after Eid al-Adha in June. As of late June 2026, no draft has appeared on the parliamentary agenda.
If passed in its current direction, Egypt would have one of the strictest online betting regimes in the Middle East.
