Oman: gambling regulation and licensing
- Online sports bettingProhibited
- Online casinoProhibited
- Online pokerProhibited
- iLotteryProhibited
- Land-based (reference)Prohibited
- Regulator
- Not yet verified
- Headline tax
- Not yet verified
- Licence required
- No
- Last verified
- 24 Sept 2026
Summary
Oman prohibits gambling in every form. There is no gambling regulator, no gambling licence and no state lottery. The Penal Code issued by Royal Decree 7/2018 defines gambling games in Article 288 as games in which it is agreed that the loser gives the winner something in return, a test that turns on the stake rather than on chance. Article 289 punishes anyone who prepares, opens or manages a place for gambling, or organises any gambling game, with three months to three years in prison and a fine of OMR 100 to OMR 1,000, or either. Article 290 makes playing an offence, carrying one to six months and OMR 100 to OMR 500, and Article 291 requires the funds and tools used to be confiscated. Online gambling is covered by the Cybercrime Law issued by Royal Decree 61/2026 on 1 June 2026, which replaced the 2011 law. Its Article 47 punishes anyone who uses a website, information system or information technology means in gambling games with one to six months and OMR 100 to OMR 1,000, or either; companies face double the maximum fine, and the court may order the proceeds confiscated and the website closed. The law reaches offences committed abroad when the result occurs, or is meant to occur, in Oman. The 2024 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation records that casinos, including online gambling, are prohibited. Enforcement reported in 2025 and 2026 consisted of Royal Oman Police arrests of groups gambling in person. The only lawful draws are consumer promotions licensed by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. No bill to legalise gambling was found.
Common pitfalls
Citing Article 288 of the Penal Code as the prohibition: it only defines gambling games; the offences are in Articles 289 (organisers) and 290 (players). Assuming a skill game is outside the law: the Article 288 test is whether the loser pays the winner, not whether chance decides. Citing Article 17 of Royal Decree 12/2011 for online gambling: that law was repealed by Royal Decree 61/2026, and the current provision is Article 47, with a lower maximum prison term (six months rather than three years) and a lower maximum fine (OMR 1,000 rather than OMR 3,000). Dating the new law from 1 June 2026: that is when it was issued; it took effect the day after its publication in the Official Gazette of 7 June 2026. Treating licensed promotional prize draws as a lottery licence.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Not yet verified
- Regulator type
- No dedicated regulator
- Headline tax
- Not yet verified
- Licence required
- No
- Minimum age
- Not yet verified
- Tax base
- Not yet verified
Legal framework
Primary statutes
Penal Code, issued by Royal Decree 7/2018
مرسوم سلطاني رقم 7 / 2018 بإصدار قانون الجزاء
- Year
- 2018
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Issued on 11 January 2018, replacing the Penal Code of Royal Decree 7/74, and in force from the day after publication in Official Gazette No. 1226 of 14 January 2018. Article 288 defines gambling games as games in which it is agreed that the loser gives the winner something in return. Article 289: anyone who prepares, equips, opens or manages a place for gambling, or organises any gambling game, is punishable by three months to three years' imprisonment and a fine of OMR 100 to OMR 1,000, or either. Article 290: anyone who plays any gambling game is punishable by one to six months and a fine of OMR 100 to OMR 500, or either. Article 291: in every case the court orders confiscation of the materials, funds and tools obtained or used in these offences, and it may order the premises closed. Under Article 15 the Code applies to every offence committed in Oman, and an offence counts as committed in Oman if any act constituting it took place there or its result occurred, or was intended to occur, there.
Cybercrime Law (Law on Combating Information Technology Crimes), issued by Royal Decree 61/2026
مرسوم سلطاني رقم 61 / 2026 بإصدار قانون مكافحة جرائم تقنية المعلومات
- Year
- 2026
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Issued on 1 June 2026, repealing the Cybercrime Law of Royal Decree 12/2011, and in force from the day after publication in the Official Gazette (No. 1651 of 7 June 2026). Article 47 (in the section headed pornographic material and gambling games): anyone who uses a website, an information system or an information technology means in gambling games is punishable by one to six months' imprisonment and a fine of OMR 100 to OMR 1,000, or either. Under Article 2 the law applies to its offences even when committed wholly or partly outside Oman, where they harm its interests or people, or where the criminal result occurs, or is intended to occur, in Oman. Article 57 fines a legal person double the maximum fine where the offence is committed in its name or for its account by its chairman, a board member, a manager or another responsible officer. Article 58 punishes an attempt with half the maximum penalty and Article 59 punishes anyone who incites, assists or agrees with another to commit an offence with the same penalty. Article 60 empowers the court in every case to order confiscation of the devices, tools and programs used and the funds derived, and closure of the information system, website or premises, permanently or temporarily. Article 55 punishes using a website or information system to form, join or work for an organised criminal group aimed at any offence under the law with five to ten years and OMR 100,000 to OMR 500,000.
Secondary instruments
لائحة تنظيم العروض الترويجية
- Year
- 2013
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Commercial, industrial and service establishments may not run or advertise a promotional offer without a licence from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, applied for at least 15 days before the offer starts. The application sets out the type of offer and how it works, its periods and places, the number and types of prizes with their purchase invoices, and the place, date and method of the draw (by lot or automated). Promotions for tobacco are banned, and the Ministry may bar an offender from running promotions for a year.
Key amendments
- 1 Jun 2026Royal Decree 61/2026 issued a new Cybercrime Law and repealed Royal Decree 12/2011. The 2011 law's Article 17 punished using the information network or information technology means for gambling with one month to three years and OMR 100 to OMR 3,000; its replacement, Article 47, carries one to six months and OMR 100 to OMR 1,000. The doubled maximum fine for companies, the attempt and complicity rules and the confiscation and closure orders of the 2011 law (Articles 29 to 32) are carried over in Articles 57 to 60; the 2011 law required the court to order confiscation and closure, while Article 60 of the new law gives the court the power to do so.
- Jan 2025Royal Decree 11/2025 replaced Article 71 of the Penal Code on suspended sentences, excluding state security, state prestige and terrorism offences. It did not touch the gambling articles.
- 20 Oct 2022Royal Decree 68/2022 replaced Article 97 of the Penal Code and added Articles 103 bis, 168 bis and 321 bis. It did not touch Articles 288 to 291.
Licensing
- Licence required
- No
- Application window
- Closed
- Local establishment required
- Not yet verified
- Local server required
- Not yet verified
- Barriers to entry
- There is nothing to apply for. No Omani law provides a licence for betting, casino, poker or lottery; organising gambling is an offence under Article 289 of the Penal Code and supplying it online under Article 47 of the Cybercrime Law, and the 2024 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation records that Oman does not allow the operation of casinos. Promotional prize draws licensed by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion are marketing permits, not a gambling licence.
Compliance
- Minimum age
- Not yet verified
- National self-exclusion
- Not yet verified
- AML regime
- There is no gambling AML regime because there is no lawful gambling sector. The 2024 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation treats casinos, including online gambling, as prohibited (paras 53, 64, 65 and 334) and treats the casino criterion as not applicable because Oman does not allow casinos (criterion 28.1; see also criterion 22.1). Money laundering under the AML/CFT Law (Royal Decree 30/2016) carries five to ten years and a fine of OMR 50,000 up to the value of the funds, doubled with aggravating factors such as use of a criminal organisation; legal persons face a fine of OMR 100,000 up to the value of the funds (criteria 3.9 and 3.10).
- KYC requirements
- Not yet verified
- Stake limits
- Not yet verified
Advertising
- Advertising permitted
- Not yet verified
Restrictions
- Businesses may not run or advertise a promotional offer, including a prize draw, without a licence from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (Ministerial Decision 239/2013)
- Anyone who incites, assists or agrees with another to commit an offence under the Cybercrime Law, including using a website in gambling games, faces the same penalty as the offender (Royal Decree 61/2026, Articles 47 and 59)
Enforcement
- ISP blocking
- Not yet verified
- DNS blocking
- Not yet verified
- Payment blocking
- Not yet verified
- App store takedowns
- Not yet verified
- Criminal penalties
- Organising gambling or running a gambling place: three months to three years and OMR 100 to OMR 1,000, or either (Penal Code Article 289). Playing: one to six months and OMR 100 to OMR 500, or either (Article 290), with mandatory confiscation of the funds and tools used (Article 291). Using a website, information system or information technology means in gambling: one to six months and OMR 100 to OMR 1,000, or either, with the maximum fine doubled for companies and confiscation and website closure open to the court in every case (Cybercrime Law 61/2026, Articles 47, 57 and 60). Money laundering: five to ten years and OMR 50,000 up to the value of the funds.
- Operator liability
- Anyone who prepares, equips, opens or manages a place for gambling or organises any gambling game commits an offence (Penal Code Article 289), and anyone who uses a website or information system in gambling games commits an offence under Article 47 of the Cybercrime Law. Both laws reach conduct abroad whose result occurs, or is intended to occur, in Oman (Penal Code Article 15, Cybercrime Law Article 2), and the court may order the website closed (Article 60). No prosecution of an offshore operator was found.
- Player liability
- Playing any gambling game is an offence under Article 290 of the Penal Code, punishable by one to six months and OMR 100 to OMR 500. Using a website or information technology means in gambling games is an offence under Article 47 of the Cybercrime Law, whose wording covers players as well as operators.
Notable actions
- Sourabh Chandrakar, alleged co-founder of the Indian Mahadev online betting network8 Jul 2026
Detained by the Royal Oman Police in late June 2026 on an Interpol notice issued at India's request, according to unnamed Indian officials quoted by Hindustan Times; India is seeking his extradition. No Omani gambling charge was reported.
- Eight Asian nationals in the Wilayat of Al Buraimi26 Jan 2026
Arrested by the Al Buraimi Governorate Police Command for gambling and held pending referral to the judicial authorities, according to Times of Oman
- Fifteen Asian nationals in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate5 Nov 2025
Arrested by the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate Police Command for gambling and possessing prohibited cigarettes and alcohol, according to a Royal Oman Police statement reported by The Arabian Stories
- 19 Bangladeshi nationals in a residential building in the Wilayat of Barka14 Jul 2025
Arrested by the South Al Batinah Governorate Police Command while gambling; legal procedures under way, according to a Royal Oman Police statement reported by Times of Oman
Timeline
6 Feb 2011
Cybercrime Law issued by Royal Decree 12/2011; Article 17 punishes using information technology for gambling
11 Jan 2018
Penal Code issued by Royal Decree 7/2018, with gambling offences in Articles 288 to 291
20 Oct 2022
Royal Decree 68/2022 amends the Penal Code without changing the gambling articles
Oct 2024
FATF adopts the Oman mutual evaluation, recording that casinos, including online gambling, are prohibited
14 Jul 2025
Royal Oman Police arrest 19 people gambling in a residential building in Barka
5 Nov 2025
Royal Oman Police arrest 15 people for gambling in Al Dakhiliyah
26 Jan 2026
Royal Oman Police arrest eight people for gambling in Al Buraimi
1 Jun 2026
Royal Decree 61/2026 issues a new Cybercrime Law, repealing the 2011 law; Article 47 covers online gambling
7 Jun 2026
New Cybercrime Law published in Official Gazette No. 1651, taking effect the next day
8 Jul 2026
Detention in Oman of the Mahadev online betting network co-founder reported; India seeks extradition
Outlook
Nothing points to legalisation: no bill or consultation on gambling was found, and the 2022 and 2025 Penal Code amendments left the gambling articles untouched. What to watch is the first use of Article 47 of the 2026 Cybercrime Law, which lowered the maximum penalty for online gambling from three years to six months, and the outcome of India's request to extradite the Mahadev betting network co-founder detained in Oman, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Frequently asked questions
- Is gambling legal in Oman?
- No. Article 289 of the Penal Code (Royal Decree 7/2018) punishes organising gambling or running a gambling place, Article 290 punishes playing, and no law provides a licence for any form of gambling.
- Is online gambling legal in Oman?
- No. Article 47 of the Cybercrime Law issued by Royal Decree 61/2026 punishes anyone who uses a website, information system or information technology means in gambling games with one to six months in prison and a fine of OMR 100 to OMR 1,000, or either, and the court may order the proceeds confiscated and the website closed.
- Can a player be prosecuted for gambling in Oman?
- Yes. Article 290 of the Penal Code punishes anyone who plays any gambling game with one to six months and OMR 100 to OMR 500, and Article 47 of the Cybercrime Law covers anyone who uses a website or information system in gambling games.
- Does Omani law reach operators based abroad?
- It can. The Cybercrime Law applies to its offences even when committed wholly or partly outside Oman if the result occurs, or is meant to occur, in Oman, and the Penal Code treats an offence as committed in Oman when its result occurs there. No prosecution of an offshore operator was found.
- Are there casinos, a lottery or legal prize draws in Oman?
- There are no casinos and no lottery; the 2024 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation records that Oman does not allow the operation of casinos. Businesses may run prize draws as promotional offers only under a licence from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
Sources
- مرسوم سلطاني رقم 7 / 2018 بإصدار قانون الجزاء (المواد 15 و288 إلى 291)
Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, Sultanate of Oman
The PDF is a scanned layout whose embedded text is garbled, so Articles 1, 15 and 288 to 291 were read from the rendered page images. Some online guides describe Article 288 as the article that prohibits gambling; it only defines gambling games, and the offences are in Articles 289 and 290.
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 11 Jan 2018 - Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 11 Jan 2018
- مرسوم سلطاني رقم 7 / 2018 بإصدار قانون الجزاء: نشر في الجريدة الرسمية رقم 1226 بتاريخ 14 / 01 / 2018
Lawrtal, private Omani legislation portal
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 14 Jan 2018 - جلالة السلطان المعظم يصدر مرسومين سلطانيين ساميين: المرسوم السلطاني رقم 68 / 2022 بتعديل بعض أحكام قانون الجزاء (20 أكتوبر 2022)
Oman News Agency (ONA), Ministry of Information, Sultanate of Oman
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 20 Oct 2022 - الوطن تنشر تفاصيل المرسومين السلطانيين بشأن تعديل بعض أحكام قانون الجزاء وبعض أحكام قانون الإجراءات الجزائية
Al Watan (Oman)
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published Oct 2022 - Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 7 Jan 2025
- مرسوم سلطاني رقم 61 / 2026 بإصدار قانون مكافحة جرائم تقنية المعلومات (المواد 2 و47 و55 و57 إلى 60)
Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, Sultanate of Oman
Read from the rendered page images of the Ministry PDF. Some English-language summaries describe the law as effective from 1 June 2026; that is the date the decree was issued. Under Article 3 of the decree it took effect the day after publication in the Official Gazette, and the Lawrtal index gives Gazette No. 1651 of 7 June 2026. Article 60 provides that the court may (lil-mahkama) order confiscation and closure in all cases, where Article 32 of the 2011 law said the court must (ala al-mahkama); the confiscation and closure orders are not new.
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 1 Jun 2026 - HM The Sultan Issues Two Royal Decrees (Royal Decree No. 61/2026 on the promulgation of the Law on Combating Cybercrime)
Oman News Agency (ONA), Ministry of Information, Sultanate of Oman
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 1 Jun 2026 - المرسوم السلطاني 61 / 2026 بإصدار قانون مكافحة جرائم تقنية المعلومات: نشر في الجريدة الرسمية رقم 1651 بتاريخ 07 / 06 / 2026
Lawrtal, private Omani legislation portal
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 7 Jun 2026 - Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 7 Jun 2026
- مرسوم سلطاني رقم 12 / 2011 بإصدار قانون مكافحة جرائم تقنية المعلومات، الجريدة الرسمية العدد 929 (المواد 2 و17)
Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Sultanate of Oman (copy of the Official Gazette)
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 6 Feb 2011 - Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published Dec 2024
- تعديل بلائحتي تنظيم العروض الترويجية والبيع بالأسعار المخفضة (القرار الوزاري رقم 184 / 2020 بتعديل لائحة تنظيم العروض الترويجية الصادرة بالقرار رقم 239 / 2013)
Oman News Agency (ONA), Ministry of Information, Sultanate of Oman
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 24 Oct 2020 - Expats arrested for gambling in South Al Batinah
Times of Oman (citing a Royal Oman Police statement)
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 14 Jul 2025 - Fifteen expats arrested in Oman's Al Dhakhliya for gambling and possessing prohibited items
The Arabian Stories (citing a Royal Oman Police statement)
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 5 Nov 2025 - Eight Asian nationals arrested in Al Buraimi for illegal gambling activities
Times of Oman (citing the Royal Oman Police)
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 26 Jan 2026 - Mahadev app's Chandrakar held in Oman; India to seek extradition
Hindustan Times
Based on unnamed Indian officials. No statement from the Royal Oman Police or the Omani Public Prosecution about the detention was found.
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 8 Jul 2026