Gambling Regulations Across Africa and the Middle East

When it comes to gambling, online gaming and sports betting, there are certain regulations set in place by countries to ensure fair play, transparency and safety for punters. Each region has its own set of rules to protect the players’ security and to ensure that the gambling industry does not get out of hand.

Depending on which area a player finds themselves, different rules and conditions will be set in place. This article aims to shed some light on the gambling regulations within the African and Middle Eastern regions. To start, the focus will be on the Middle East and then continue to Africa.

The Middle Eastern Countries

18 countries together make up the Middle East, from countries like Saudi Arabia, Dubai and The United Arabs to countries like Cyprus, Turkmenistan and Oman.

Arabic Gaming laws vary from country to country. In general, gambling is an act that is prohibited in Middle Eastern countries as most of these countries base their laws on the Quran. Islam is the official religion in these countries and as gaming is prohibited, Federal and Local Emirate Laws do not allow for gaming. However, when it comes to online gaming, the lines become a bit more murky, as many online gaming platforms do not regulate where players come from and therefore online casinos, like CasinoArabie, can offer players the chance at online gambling and sports betting. There are certain lotteries and sports betting websites within countries like Egypt and Lebanon where national lotteries and regulated online sports betting sites are permitted, under the watchful eye of each country’s Gaming Commission Body.

The African Countries

In terms of the number of countries, there are also triple as many in Africa with the number of 54 countries. Just as in any region, each country has its own set of rules.

Gambling and online gaming are more accepted in certain African countries and the regulations of gambling in some of these countries are not as strict as in the Middle East. Countries in Africa where gambling is allowed include South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, Zimbabwe and so on. Each country is very specific about the laws and restrictions they place upon gambling, online gaming and sports betting. Online gambling and sports betting are more common, as they are harder to trace. However, the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum is currently in the works to ensure that awareness around risk is built within African countries and to improve gambling regulations across Africa. It is said that by the year 2050, the number of 24-year-old Africans partaking in some form of online gaming will increase by 50%. This continent aims to work together to ensure that its citizens can partake in the safest way possible.

Final Thoughts

It is clear to see that gambling, online gaming and sports betting all have their regulations set around them depending on the country. With the increase in blockchain technology and hardware wallet systems, tracking online players is becoming more difficult due to the anonymity offered to players by technically advanced gaming sites.

Whether countries become more strict or loosen the reigns around gambling and online gaming is hard to tell. It is a complicated industry that faces many risks and opportunities. It is at the discretion of every government and gaming commission body to set the laws around gaming within their own country. It is then the responsibility of each citizen to follow these rules. Tourists visiting these countries also need to keep these rules in mind so that they do not find themselves in situations where they are going against a gaming law.