Egypt has begun blocking access to online sports-betting platforms, with lawmakers framing the move as a crackdown on unlicensed offshore operators and a prelude to tighter controls over the country’s digital space. The push was publicly linked to MP Ahmed Badawy, head of Parliament’s Communications and Information Technology Committee, who said blocked apps “will not be allowed to return” and that new legislation is being drafted to close loopholes that enabled rapid growth of betting services.
From an operator-financial standpoint, the message is clear: Egypt is targeting offshore brands such as 1xBet and aiming to cut the payment and traffic channels that feed unregulated wagering.
Proposed measures discussed in industry coverage include deterrent penalties, potential consequences for users accessing banned apps, and a requirement that any electronic platform operating in Egypt have an accredited local legal representative who can be held accountable for violations—raising the compliance bar sharply for any future digital offering.
The legal backdrop is restrictive. Coverage cites Egypt’s Penal Code Articles 271 and 352 as criminalising most gambling based on uncertain outcomes. Land-based casinos operate under an exception—permitted only for non-Egyptians and in foreign currency—while online gambling for residents is generally treated as prohibited, despite years of grey-market activity.
Market estimates illustrate why enforcement matters: local media cited projections that Egypt’s broader gambling market could reach US$950 million by 2025 and US$1.1 billion by 2031 (CAGR ~4%), value that regulators argue is currently leaking offshore without consumer protections or public oversight.
