Egypt Incorporates Online Betting Crackdown into Digital Safety Law

Egypt will tackle online betting through a broader Digital Safety Law expected to reach Parliament in about six weeks. Ahmed Badawi, chair of the House of Representatives’ Communications and Information Technology Committee, provided the timetable on 1 November. Badawi stated that betting apps had defrauded hundreds of thousands of Egyptians, targeting those aged 20 to 60, with some users remaining on the platforms for 24 hours at a stretch.

This represents a change from prior plans. In May, Badawi indicated amendments to the Cybercrime Law No. 175 of 2018 would arrive in Parliament within a month. Those changes were to carry penalties of up to seven years in prison and fines of EGP500,000 for apps used in cybercrime. The bill never materialized.

The Digital Safety Law will now include the planned Cybercrime Law amendments, rules on children’s social media use, and protections for adults from technology risks. It will go beyond website and app blocks to target betting brokers, their representatives inside Egypt, promoters, and anyone assisting access. Badawi cited the Cybercrime Law’s tough penalties, which reach life imprisonment and have reduced electronic blackmail, as a model.

Enforcement Actions and Legislative Timeline

Authorities had blocked 70 betting apps by May. Badawi noted operators respond by launching new platforms. The committee had set its own target to open the parliamentary session with the Digital Safety Law and complete work within a month. Egypt maintains no licensed online betting market; the Civil Code voids gambling contracts and the Penal Code addresses physical premises.

Police pressure continues. On 3 November the Interior Ministry acted against four suspects accused of laundering about EGP50m from betting and cryptocurrency speculation. The next day prosecutors ordered another arrest and mobile phone seizures to trace contacts and financial dealings. As reported by iGaming Business, the government has yet to publish the draft law, leaving the exact scope of betting provisions unclear.

Forward Enforcement Outlook

The shift to a wider bill may deliver stronger tools against brokers but extends the timeline for dedicated online betting rules. Until the text appears, enforcement will rely on existing blocks and criminal actions, with the risk that circumvention continues unchecked. Regulators and operators alike need the final language to assess compliance exposure precisely.