Find Out If Sports Betting Is Legal In Egypt

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Find Out If Sports Betting Is Legal In Egypt

Is betting legal in Egypt?

Gambling in Egypt dates thousands of years ago, and it is a part of the country's colorful history. The first anti-gambling laws in Egypt existed around 3000 BC, which indicates that gambling has already been a very spread activity. Nowadays, Egypt is a Muslim country, and the Quran explicitly forbids gambling. On the other hand, the lottery is the only gambling-related activity where the Egyptians can try out their luck. Although there are land-based casinos across the country, only foreigners can enjoy gaming. However, the situation with online gaming and betting is a bit different. Let's check out together whether it is allowed to place bets in Egypt.

History of Gambling in Egypt

The gambling practice in ancient Egypt was widespread, as numerous artifacts indicate its rich history. Interestingly, the origins of gambling activities in Egypt were related to religion. Besides that, archeologists found many artifacts, like 4-sided and 6-sided dice, tombstone paintings of people gambling, or hieroglyphs showing attempts to reduce gambling activities. These artifacts date 4000 – 3000 BC, indicating that the gambling tradition in Egypt can be measured by thousands of years.

Times have changed, and the Egyptians cannot gamble or bet in the brick-and-mortar casinos. Nevertheless, punters took advantage of the unregulated online betting industry to place their wagers. It is not illegal for Egyptians to place their bets online at offshore sportsbooks. They should only register for an online account and start putting their bets. Upon the sign-up process, you can get different types of bonuses offered by the bookmakers as described on bestbettingsites.com.

Current Legal Situation around Betting

If you wonder whether there is a Gambling Act or equivalent that regulates gambling in Egypt, the answer is – yes. According to the Egyptian Civil Law of 1948 and its articles 739 and 740, gambling activities are not legal for local residents, except for the lottery. We already mentioned that gambling and betting are not prohibited for foreigners and tourists. Although sports are very popular in Egypt, especially football, you cannot find any sportsbook retail shop in the country available for local bettors. Organizing sports betting and accepting wagers is considered a crime, leading to fines or detention. We should clarify one important thing here. Egyptian betting regulations don't prevent a punter from placing a bet but punishes bookies who accept them.

Since sports betting was prohibited by an Act that dates from 1948, and the industry had vastly changed since then, the online market is still not regulated. In other words, no restrictions exist from placing wagers online, which is good news for Egyptian punters. Many international sports betting operators recognized Egypt as a potentially fruitful market, and they started offering their services to Egyptian punters. Therefore, you can register at some of the most reputable offshore online sportsbooks and start placing your bets without restrictions. On the other hand, a sportsbook won't have any consequences since they fall under the jurisdiction of foreign regulators.

What Sports Egyptians Wager the Most

Egyptians are very passionate about football, and it is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the country. The domestic league brings a rivalry between Al Ahly and Zamalek, which is among the fiercest world derbies. The Premier League is also very famous among the Egyptian bettors, especially since Mohamed Salah signed for Liverpool.

Besides football, another very popular sport in this country is basketball. An interesting fact about the Egyptian national basketball team is that they were the Eurobasket champions in 1949. However, the last time they won a significant title was in 1983, when Egypt became the Afrobasket gold medal winner. Bettors can find numerous markets offered on these two sports, and they can also dive into the in-play markets.

How to Find a Reliable Online Sportsbook?

Since the online betting market keeps flourishing, the number of available online sportsbooks for Egyptian punters is vast. Therefore, it is important to recognize a trustworthy operator as safety should be your number one priority. A wide range of well-known brands in the industry accept Egyptian bettors, but what if you want to try other bookies? When considering registering at a relatively new bookie, always check if it is a licensed operator. A good indicator of a trustworthy sportsbook is if the most respected authorities license it like the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, or the Gibraltar Gambling Commission.

Conclusion

Although Egyptian punters cannot place their bets at local operators as it is prohibited by law, the online betting market is still unregulated in the country. Therefore, local bettors can enjoy placing wagers without any restrictions at offshore online sportsbooks. There are no records that anyone has been prosecuted due to online betting activities. The situation around the gambling legislation in Egypt is unlikely to change soon, but punters can still enjoy online wagering at the biggest names in the sports betting industry.

Author: Maggie Petroff