Is online gambling legal in Algeria?

No. Law No. 18-05 on electronic commerce, art. 3, bans every electronic transaction relating to games of chance, bets and lotteries, and art. 37 fines anyone who offers or sells them online DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000, with possible closure of the website for one to six months.

Can a foreign operator get a licence?

No. There is no licensing regime. Civil Code art. 612 bans games of chance and bets except racing bets and the state-owned Pari Sportif Algerien.

Who runs legal betting in Algeria?

The Pari Sportif Algerien, a state establishment created in 1966 and supervised by the minister responsible for sport, runs sports forecasting contests offline. Racing bets are taken on a pari-mutuel basis at the racecourse.

Is it an offence to play?

No provision found makes playing an offence. The Penal Code targets keepers, organisers and sellers, and Law No. 18-05 targets whoever offers or sells gambling online.

Can gambling be advertised online?

No. Law No. 18-05, art. 34, bans online promotion of any product or service that may not be sold online, with fines of DZD 50,000 to 500,000, and Penal Code art. 168 punishes advertising an unauthorised lottery.

Sovereign state

Africa

ISO DZ

Algeria: gambling regulation and licensing

Online casinoProhibited
Online sports bettingProhibited
Online pokerProhibited
iLotteryProhibited
Horse race bettingProhibited
Land-based (reference)Monopoly

Regulator: Ministry of Sports
Headline tax: Not yet verified
Licence required: Not yet verified
Last verified: 23 Sept 2026

Summary

Algeria prohibits gambling, with two narrow state exceptions, and has no licensing regime for any private or online operator. Civil Code article 612 states that games of chance and bets are prohibited, except bets on races and the Pari Sportif Algerien (PSA). The PSA is a state industrial and commercial establishment created by Ordinance No. 66-314 of 1966 to run sports forecasting contests nationwide, under the supervision of the minister responsible for sport; racing bets are taken on a pari-mutuel basis at the racecourse. Penal Code articles 165 to 168 punish keeping an unauthorised house of games of chance and running, selling or advertising an unauthorised lottery, with prison terms of up to one year and fines raised to DZD 20,001 to 100,000 in 2006. No casino licensing regime exists: MENAFATF found in its May 2023 evaluation that gambling is prohibited and treated the casino criterion as not applicable. Online play is covered separately by Law No. 18-05 of 2018 on electronic commerce, which bans any electronic transaction in games of chance, bets and lotteries, with no exception for the PSA, fines sellers DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000 and lets a court close the website; it also bans online promotion. No gaming tax was found. Since July 2025 Law No. 25-10 has also banned the use and holding of crypto-assets, and in May 2026 the National Gendarmerie reported dismantling an online betting network that moved bettors' money abroad in cryptocurrency. The FATF removed Algeria from its grey list in June 2026. No bill to open or regulate the market was found.

Common pitfalls

Treating the Pari Sportif Algerien as a regulator: it is a state operator, and there is no gambling regulator or licence. Assuming the PSA may take bets online: Law No. 18-05, art. 3, bans every electronic transaction in bets with no exception. Quoting the Penal Code fines of DZD 500 to 20,000 printed in older editions and in the MENAFATF report: art. 467 bis has raised them to DZD 20,001 to 100,000 since 2006. Assuming casinos operate: there is no casino licensing regime.

Key facts

Regulator: Ministry of Sports
Regulator type: Government ministry
Headline tax: Not yet verified
Licence required: Not yet verified
Minimum age: Not yet verified
Tax base: No gaming tax was found, and there is no licensed private market to tax. The Pari Sportif Algerien pays winners and funds sport out of its receipts under Ordinance No. 66-314, art. 6, which as enacted paid its receipts, after settlement of tax charges, into a Treasury account from which 45% went to winners; the current split after the 1983 and 1987 amendments was not established.

Legal framework

Primary statutes

Law No. 18-05 of 10 May 2018 on electronic commerce
Loi n° 18-05 du 10 mai 2018 relative au commerce électronique
Year
2018
In force
Yes
Summary
Art. 2: Algerian law applies to an e-commerce transaction where a party is an Algerian national, lawfully resides in Algeria, is a legal person under Algerian law, or the contract is concluded or performed in Algeria. Art. 3: any transaction by electronic communications relating to games of chance, bets and lotteries is prohibited. Art. 34: advertising or promotion by electronic communications of any product or service whose online sale is prohibited is banned. Art. 37: anyone who offers or sells the art. 3 products or services online is fined DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000, without prejudice to heavier penalties, and the judge may close the website for one to six months. Art. 40: breach of art. 34 is fined DZD 50,000 to 500,000. Art. 45: settlement is excluded for art. 37 offences. Art. 48: fines double on a repeat within 12 months.
Civil Code (Ordinance No. 75-58 of 26 September 1975), article 612
Code civil, article 612
Year
1975
In force
Yes
Summary
Games of chance and bets are prohibited. The prohibition does not apply to bets on races or to the Pari Sportif Algerien.
Penal Code (Ordinance No. 66-156 of 8 June 1966), articles 165 to 168
Code pénal, articles 165 à 168
Year
1966
In force
Yes
Summary
Art. 165: anyone who, without authorisation, keeps a house of games of chance and admits the public, freely or on introduction by affiliates or touts, is punished by three months to one year in prison and a fine, as are its bankers, managers, staff and agents; they may also lose civic rights and be banned from residence for one to five years, and stakes, cash, furnishings and gaming equipment are confiscated. Art. 166: the same penalties apply to promoters, organisers, managers, staff and agents of unauthorised lotteries. Art. 167: a lottery is any operation offered to the public, under any name, to raise the hope of a gain obtained by chance. Art. 168: one to three months and a fine for those who hawk, sell or distribute tickets of unauthorised lotteries or advertise them. The fines printed in the code (DZD 500 to 20,000 and 500 to 5,000) are raised to DZD 20,001 to 100,000 by art. 467 bis. Art. 451(5): setting up lottery or other games of chance in streets or public places is a contravention.
Ordinance No. 66-314 of 14 October 1966 establishing the Pari Sportif Algerien
Ordonnance n° 66-314 du 14 octobre 1966 portant création du Pari sportif algérien
Year
1966
In force
Yes
Summary
Creates the Pari Sportif Algerien as a public industrial and commercial establishment under the supervision of the Minister of Youth and Sports (art. 1), to organise and run across the country forecasting contests on national and international sports competitions other than horse races, with profits going to sports and youth facilities and grants to sports and youth associations (art. 2). Game rules are set by ministerial order (art. 3). As enacted, receipts went to a Treasury account from which 45% went to winners, an advance of 15% went to the PSA up to its approved budget, and the monthly balance to a Ministry of Youth and Sports account (art. 6). Amended by Decrees No. 83-320 of 1983 and 87-80 of 1987.
Law No. 05-01 of 6 February 2005 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, as amended by Laws No. 23-01 of 2023 and 25-10 of 2025
Loi n° 05-01 du 6 février 2005 relative à la prévention et à la lutte contre le blanchiment d'argent et le financement du terrorisme
Year
2005
In force
Yes
Summary
Art. 10 bis 3, as replaced in 2025, makes the minister responsible for sport the AML supervisor for bets and games (the 2023 text read "bets, games and casinos"). Art. 6 bis, added in 2025, prohibits issuing, buying, selling, using, holding, promoting or trading virtual assets and running exchange platforms; art. 31 bis punishes a breach with two months to one year in prison and a fine of DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000, or either.

Secondary instruments

Ordinance No. 77-5 of 19 February 1977 on the organisation of lotteries
Year
1977
Summary
Cited by MENAFATF as the basis for lotteries run by public bodies for social or charitable purposes and for lotteries at festivals, markets or exhibitions. Text not retrieved.

Key amendments

7 May 1983Decree No. 83-320 amends Ordinance No. 66-314 on the Pari Sportif Algerien (text not read).
7 Apr 1987Decree No. 87-80 further amends Ordinance No. 66-314 (text not read).
24 Dec 2006Law No. 06-23 inserts Penal Code art. 467 bis, raising delict fines to a minimum of DZD 20,001 and a maximum of DZD 100,000 where lower, which lifts the fines for gaming houses and unauthorised lotteries in arts. 165 to 168.
16 May 2018Law No. 18-05 on electronic commerce bans online transactions in games of chance, bets and lotteries, and online advertising of them.
30 Apr 2024Law No. 24-06 amends Penal Code art. 166 on unauthorised lotteries, which keeps the penalties of art. 165.
24 Jul 2025Law No. 25-10 bans virtual assets and restates the minister responsible for sport as AML supervisor for bets and games, dropping the word casinos.

Licensing

Licence required: Not yet verified
Application window: Not yet verified
Local establishment required: Not yet verified
Local server required: Not yet verified
Notable licensees: Pari Sportif Algerien (state establishment)
Barriers to entry: The market is closed. Civil Code art. 612 bans games of chance and bets except racing bets and the state-owned Pari Sportif Algerien, and Law No. 18-05 bans every online transaction in games of chance, bets and lotteries, with fines of DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000 and closure of the website. There is no route to a licence for a private or foreign operator.

Licence types

None available to private operators
Scope
There is no licence for any form of online gambling and no casino licence. Offline sports forecasting is reserved by statute to the Pari Sportif Algerien, and bets on races to the racing pari-mutuel.

Taxation

Headline GGR tax: Not yet verified
Effective date: Not yet verified
Tax base: No gaming tax was found, and there is no licensed private market to tax. The Pari Sportif Algerien pays winners and funds sport out of its receipts under Ordinance No. 66-314, art. 6, which as enacted paid its receipts, after settlement of tax charges, into a Treasury account from which 45% went to winners; the current split after the 1983 and 1987 amendments was not established.

Earmarked levies

Pari Sportif Algerien surplus (Ministry responsible for sport, for sports and youth facilities and grants to associations (Ordinance No. 66-314, arts. 2 and 6))

Compliance

Minimum age: Not yet verified
National self-exclusion: Not yet verified
AML regime: Law No. 05-01 of 2005, as amended in 2023 and 2025. The minister responsible for sport supervises bets and games for AML purposes (art. 10 bis 3). MENAFATF rated the casino criterion not applicable in 2023 because gambling is prohibited. The FATF placed Algeria under increased monitoring in October 2024 and removed it on 19 June 2026.
AML supervisor: Ministry of Sports (bets and games); the Financial Intelligence Processing Unit (CTRF) is the financial intelligence unit
KYC requirements: Not yet verified
Stake limits: Not yet verified

Advertising

Advertising permitted: No
Penalties for breach: DZD 50,000 to 500,000 for online promotion (Law No. 18-05, art. 40); one to three months in prison and a fine for advertising an unauthorised lottery (Penal Code art. 168, fine uprated by art. 467 bis).

Restrictions

Law No. 18-05, art. 34, bans any advertising or promotion by electronic communications of a product or service whose online sale is prohibited, which includes games of chance, bets and lotteries (art. 3). Breach is fined DZD 50,000 to 500,000 (art. 40).
Penal Code art. 168 punishes anyone who makes an unauthorised lottery known by notices, announcements, posters or any other means of publicity.
No broadcasting rule specific to gambling was found in the audiovisual law.

Payments

Credit card ban: Not yet verified
Crypto stance: Prohibited
Payment blocking regime: No statutory duty on banks or payment providers to block gambling transactions was found. Law No. 18-05, art. 3, makes any electronic transaction in games of chance, bets and lotteries unlawful, and since July 2025 Law No. 05-01, art. 6 bis, prohibits using or holding virtual assets. In May 2026 the National Gendarmerie reported dismantling a network that converted bettors' funds into cryptocurrency and moved them abroad.

Enforcement

ISP blocking: Not yet verified
DNS blocking: Not yet verified
Payment blocking: Not yet verified
App store takedowns: Not yet verified
Administrative penalties: The court may close an offending website for one to six months (Law No. 18-05, art. 37). On a Ministry of Commerce decision, the domain name registry suspends the domain of anyone established in Algeria who sells online without being on the commercial register, until the position is regularised (art. 42), and may suspend an e-supplier's domain as a precaution for up to 30 days where it commits an offence punishable by closure of premises (art. 43).
Criminal penalties: Offering or selling games of chance, bets or lotteries online: fine of DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000, doubled on a repeat within 12 months, with no settlement (Law No. 18-05, arts. 37, 45 and 48). Keeping an unauthorised house of games of chance, or running an unauthorised lottery: three months to one year in prison and a fine of DZD 20,001 to 100,000, optional loss of civic rights and residence ban of one to five years, and mandatory confiscation (Penal Code arts. 165 and 166 with art. 467 bis). Selling or advertising unauthorised lottery tickets: one to three months and a fine of DZD 20,001 to 100,000 (art. 168).
Operator liability: Keepers, bankers, managers, staff and agents of unauthorised gaming houses, and promoters, organisers and agents of unauthorised lotteries (Penal Code arts. 165 and 166); anyone who offers or sells gambling online (Law No. 18-05, art. 37).
Player liability: No provision found that punishes the player. The Penal Code articles target keepers, organisers and sellers, and Law No. 18-05, art. 37, targets whoever offers or sells.

Notable actions

An international network running unlicensed online gambling, betting and electronic lotteries26 May 2026
The National Gendarmerie's organised crime service arrested nine people who used registered businesses as cover and converted bettors' funds into cryptocurrency for transfer abroad; about DZD 1.03 million, EUR 2,515, three cars and 199 top-up cards for virtual currency were seized.

Timeline

25 Oct 1966
Ordinance No. 66-314 creating the Pari Sportif Algerien published
26 Sept 1975
Civil Code enacted by Ordinance No. 75-58; art. 612 prohibits games of chance and bets except racing bets and the Pari Sportif Algerien
7 May 1983
Decree No. 83-320 amends the Pari Sportif Algerien ordinance
7 Apr 1987
Decree No. 87-80 amends the Pari Sportif Algerien ordinance
24 Dec 2006
Law No. 06-23 raises Penal Code fines, including those for gaming houses and unauthorised lotteries
16 May 2018
Law No. 18-05 on electronic commerce published, banning online gambling, betting and lottery transactions and their online promotion
8 Feb 2023
Law No. 23-01 names the Ministry of Youth and Sports AML supervisor for bets, games and casinos
30 Apr 2024
Law No. 24-06 amends Penal Code art. 166 on unauthorised lotteries
24 Jul 2025
Law No. 25-10 bans crypto-assets and restates the sports ministry as AML supervisor for bets and games
26 May 2026
National Gendarmerie reports dismantling an international online betting network and nine arrests
19 Jun 2026
FATF removes Algeria from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring

Outlook

Nothing in the legislative pipeline would open the market: no bill to license online gambling or to modernise the Pari Sportif Algerien was found at review. Enforcement is likely to keep running through the criminal law, with the 2025 crypto-asset ban giving investigators a second offence to charge against networks that move bettors' funds abroad, as in the Gendarmerie case of May 2026. Algeria left the FATF grey list in June 2026 and continues follow-up with MENAFATF, where the supervision of betting and games by the minister responsible for sport falls within scope.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in Algeria?: No. Law No. 18-05 on electronic commerce, art. 3, bans every electronic transaction relating to games of chance, bets and lotteries, and art. 37 fines anyone who offers or sells them online DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000, with possible closure of the website for one to six months.
Can a foreign operator get a licence?: No. There is no licensing regime. Civil Code art. 612 bans games of chance and bets except racing bets and the state-owned Pari Sportif Algerien.
Who runs legal betting in Algeria?: The Pari Sportif Algerien, a state establishment created in 1966 and supervised by the minister responsible for sport, runs sports forecasting contests offline. Racing bets are taken on a pari-mutuel basis at the racecourse.
Are there casinos in Algeria?: No casino licensing regime exists. MENAFATF found in 2023 that gambling is prohibited and treated the casino criterion as not applicable, and keeping an unauthorised house of games of chance is an offence under Penal Code art. 165.
Is it an offence to play?: No provision found makes playing an offence. The Penal Code targets keepers, organisers and sellers, and Law No. 18-05 targets whoever offers or sells gambling online.
Can gambling be advertised online?: No. Law No. 18-05, art. 34, bans online promotion of any product or service that may not be sold online, with fines of DZD 50,000 to 500,000, and Penal Code art. 168 punishes advertising an unauthorised lottery.

Sources

Law No. 18-05 of 10 May 2018 on electronic commerce, Official Gazette No. 28 of 16 May 2018 (arts. 2, 3, 34, 36, 37, 40, 42, 43, 45)
Secretariat General of the Government, Official Gazette of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (JORADP)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 16 May 2018
Civil Code (Ordinance No. 75-58 of 26 September 1975), consolidated edition, art. 612 (games and bets)
Secretariat General of the Government, published on the Ministry of Justice legal portal
Consolidated edition current to Law No. 07-05 of 13 May 2007. No later amendment of art. 612 was found, but none was searched for systematically.
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Penal Code (Ordinance No. 66-156 of 8 June 1966), Ministry of Justice official bilingual edition, 4th edition 2005, with Law No. 06-23 appended (arts. 165 to 168, 451 and 452)
Ministry of Justice (ONTE edition), hosted by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
The edition prints the original fine levels for arts. 165 and 168 (DZD 500 to 20,000 and DZD 500 to 5,000). Art. 467 bis, added by Law No. 06-23 of 2006, raises delict fines below those thresholds to a minimum of DZD 20,001 and a maximum of DZD 100,000; the MENAFATF 2023 report quotes the unadjusted figures.
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Law No. 06-23 of 20 December 2006 amending and supplementing the Penal Code, Official Gazette No. 84 of 24 December 2006 (art. 60 inserting arts. 467 bis and 467 bis 1)
Secretariat General of the Government, Official Gazette of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (JORADP)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 24 Dec 2006
Law No. 24-06 of 28 April 2024 amending and supplementing the Penal Code, Official Gazette No. 30 of 30 April 2024 (art. 12 amending art. 166)
Secretariat General of the Government, Official Gazette of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (JORADP)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 30 Apr 2024
Ordinance No. 66-314 of 14 October 1966 establishing the Pari Sportif Algerien, Official Gazette No. 91 of 25 October 1966, p. 1052 (arts. 1 to 12)
Secretariat General of the Government, Official Gazette of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (JORADP)
Scanned 1966 gazette, read from page images. The ordinance was later amended by Decrees No. 83-320 and 87-80, which were not read; the 45% share of receipts for winners in art. 6 is the original figure.
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 25 Oct 1966
Executive Decree No. 98-316 of 3 October 1998 (preamble citing Ordinance No. 66-314 as amended by Decrees No. 83-320 of 7 May 1983 and 87-80 of 7 April 1987), Official Gazette No. 74 of 5 October 1998
FAO FAOLEX database, copy of the Official Gazette page
Only the first gazette page is reproduced; it is cited for the list of amending decrees in the preamble.
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 5 Oct 1998
Law No. 23-01 of 7 February 2023 amending and supplementing Law No. 05-01 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, Official Gazette No. 8 of 8 February 2023 (art. 10 bis 3)
Secretariat General of the Government, Official Gazette of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (JORADP)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 8 Feb 2023
Law No. 25-10 of 24 July 2025 amending and supplementing Law No. 05-01 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, Official Gazette No. 48 of 24 July 2025 (arts. 4, 6 bis, 10 bis 3, 31 bis)
Secretariat General of the Government, Official Gazette of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (JORADP)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 24 Jul 2025
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures in the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Mutual Evaluation Report, May 2023 (paras. 62, 316 and 416)
Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF)
Quotes the Penal Code fines of arts. 165 to 168 without the 2006 uprating in art. 467 bis, and its English summary extends the lottery penalties to players, which the French text of art. 166 does not.
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring, 19 June 2026 (Algeria removed)
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 19 Jun 2026
Algeria: the Gendarmerie dismantles an international online gambling network
ObservAlgerie (translated)
Reports a National Gendarmerie statement broadcast on 26 May 2026; the statement itself was not retrieved from an official host.
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 27 May 2026
Commercial registrations as cover: the logistics of a dismantled online betting network
Algerie360 (translated)
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 28 May 2026
Member information: Societe des Courses Hippiques et du Pari Mutuel, Algeria
International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR)
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026