Egypt Merges Online Betting Ban Into New Digital Safety Bill

Digital Safety Law to absorb betting regulations

Ahmed Badawi, chair of the House of Representatives’ Communications and Information Technology Committee, announced on 1 November that Egypt will integrate online betting regulations into a new Digital Safety Law. The legislation is designed to target betting brokers, their representatives within Egypt, and individuals who promote betting platforms or help citizens access them.

Badawi stated that the new law will incorporate amendments previously planned for the Cybercrime Law No. 175 of 2018. “The law will include the amendments planned for the Cybercrime Law No. 175 of 2018, the legislation regulating children’s use of social media, and new legislation to protect adults from the risks of technology as well,” Badawi said.

The shift in strategy follows missed deadlines for separate legislative actions. In May, Badawi indicated that amendments to the Cybercrime Law would reach Parliament within a month. Those proposals included penalties of up to seven years in prison and fines of EGP500,000 for creating an app used in cybercrime. However, the bill to criminalize online betting did not reach Parliament in June. The committee now expects to finish its work on the Digital Safety Law within about six weeks of submission.

Targeting brokers and app developers

The new regulatory framework explicitly addresses the ecosystem around illegal betting operations. Badawi noted that betting apps target people aged 20 to 60 and that some users remain on these platforms for up to 24 hours at a stretch. He described the state’s response as “decisive and firm,” citing the Cybercrime Law as a model for its effectiveness in reducing electronic blackmail through severe penalties.

Badawi confirmed that the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, and the parliamentary communications committee will collaborate to identify and block illegal betting apps. “I met the head of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority and we confirmed that the NTRA, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation and the parliamentary communications committee would work together to identify all betting apps operating illegally, which will be blocked,” he said.

Authorities have already taken significant action against these platforms. By May, officials had blocked 70 betting apps. Badawi acknowledged that individuals behind blocked apps continue to launch new platforms to circumvent restrictions. The Digital Safety Law aims to address this by penalizing the creators and promoters of such applications, not just the users.

Enforcement actions and financial crimes

Legislative efforts are coinciding with active enforcement by law enforcement agencies. On 3 November, the Interior Ministry’s Public Funds and Organised Crime Unit took legal action against four suspects. The suspects were accused of laundering approximately EGP50 million from betting and cryptocurrency speculation. According to the Interior Ministry, the individuals allegedly set up companies and purchased property, cars, and motorcycles to give their assets a “legitimate appearance.”

On 4 November, the Public Funds Prosecution ordered the arrest of a new suspect. Prosecutors also ordered the seizure and examination of the defendants’ mobile phones to gather digital evidence. These actions highlight the government’s focus on the financial infrastructure supporting illegal online betting.

Legal context and current status

Egypt currently has no licensed online gambling market for domestic residents. The Civil Code renders gambling contracts void, and the Penal Code targets physical gambling premises. Under the 2022 hotel and tourism law, only foreign passport holders are permitted to play in licensed hotel casinos.

In January 2025, committee deputy chair Martha Mahrous tabled a separate bill to criminalize online betting. However, the current approach consolidates these efforts into the broader Digital Safety Law. NTRA spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim stated that the draft law would cover betting platforms and violent games. The government has not yet published the full draft of the Digital Safety Law for public review.