Is gambling legal in Saudi Arabia?

No. Gambling is prohibited as contrary to Sharia, which the Basic Law of Governance makes the basis of the legal system, and no law provides a licence for any form of gambling. The 2018 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation records that gambling is illegal and that there are no casinos.

Is online gambling legal in Saudi Arabia?

No. Beyond the general prohibition, Article 6(3) of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law makes it a crime to prepare, publish or promote material for gambling activities through an information network, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 3 million, or either.

What are the penalties for gambling in Saudi Arabia?

Gambling itself is a discretionary (ta'zir) offence, so the court sets the penalty and there is no statutory tariff. Promoting or preparing gambling material online carries up to five years and SAR 3 million, and laundering gambling proceeds carries two to ten years or up to SAR 5 million, or both.

Are prize draws and competitions allowed in Saudi Arabia?

Only as promotions. Businesses need a Ministry of Commerce licence for a commercial competition, entry may not require a purchase, and each licence allows up to two competitions a year of no more than 60 days each.

Sovereign state

Asia

ISO SA

Saudi Arabia: 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

Saudi Arabia prohibits gambling in every form and has no gambling regulator, no gambling licence, no lottery and no casinos. The prohibition rests on Sharia rather than a penal code. Under the Basic Law of Governance the Quran and Sunnah are the constitution, a crime may be defined by a Sharia text as well as a statute, and the courts apply Sharia, so gambling is punished as a discretionary (ta'zir) offence with no fixed tariff. The 2018 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation records that gambling is illegal and contrary to Sharia and that there are no casinos. Two statutes deal with gambling in terms. The Civil Transactions Law of 2023 makes every agreement on gambling void, while allowing prize competitions that turn on the competitors' effort. The Anti-Cyber Crime Law of 2007, Article 6, punishes preparing, publishing or promoting material for gambling activities through an information network with up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 3 million, and the proceeds of gambling are proceeds of crime under the Anti-Money Laundering Law of 2017. The only lawful draws are promotional commercial competitions licensed by the Ministry of Commerce, which may not require a purchase to enter. Enforcement reported by official sources is against people found gambling, such as the 17 expatriates the Riyadh police arrested in a flat in 2020; no case against an offshore operator was found. A Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences, announced in 2021, would codify ta'zir offences, but it had not been enacted by September 2026 and its text is unpublished. No bill to legalise or regulate gambling was found.

Common pitfalls

Looking for a gambling article in a Saudi penal code: there is no general penal code, and gambling is punished on a Sharia basis as a discretionary offence, so there is no statutory tariff for players. Reading the Anti-Cyber Crime Law as covering only pornography: Article 6(3) names gambling activities as well. Treating the Civil Transactions Law competition contract, or a Ministry of Commerce commercial competition licence, as a route to a prize game with paid entry: the competition contract requires that winning depends on effort and that not all competitors fund the prize, and a licensed commercial competition may not require a purchase.

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

Basic Law of Governance, Royal Order No. A/90 of 27/8/1412H
النظام الأساسي للحكم
Year
1992
In force
Yes
Summary
Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state whose constitution is the Quran and the Sunnah (Article 1), which govern the Basic Law and every other law (Article 7). There is no crime and no penalty except on the basis of a Sharia text or a statutory text (Article 38), and the courts apply Sharia together with laws issued by the ruler that do not conflict with it (Article 48). Saudi Arabia has no general penal code, so gambling is punished on this Sharia basis as a discretionary (ta'zir) offence.
Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Royal Decree No. M/17 of 8/3/1428H
نظام مكافحة الجرائم المعلوماتية
Year
2007
In force
Yes
Summary
Issued on 27 March 2007 and in force 120 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Article 16). Article 6 punishes with up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 3 million, or either, anyone who, among other things, prepares, publishes or promotes material and data relating to pornographic networks or to gambling activities (أنشطة الميسر) that violate public morals (paragraph 3), or produces, prepares, sends or stores through an information network material that impinges on public order, religious values or public morals (paragraph 1). The penalties may not be less than half the maximum where the offence is committed through organised crime, by a public official, by exploiting minors or by a repeat offender (Article 8). Anyone who incites, assists or collaborates in an offence faces up to the maximum penalty (Article 9). Equipment, software and proceeds may be confiscated and a website shut down permanently or temporarily where its owner knew of the offence (Article 13).
Civil Transactions Law, Royal Decree No. M/191 of 2023
نظام المعاملات المدنية
Year
2023
In force
Yes
Summary
Issued on 18 June 2023 and published on 19 June 2023; in force 180 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Article 721). Article 406 provides that every agreement on gambling is void. Articles 403 to 405 permit a competition contract, under which a person undertakes to award a prize to the winner where winning depends on the competitor's effort; the prize may be put up by some of the competitors or by a third party, but not by all of them.
Anti-Money Laundering Law, Royal Decree No. M/20 of 2017
نظام مكافحة غسل الأموال
Year
2017
In force
Yes
Summary
Does not mention gambling. A predicate offence is any act punishable under Sharia or the Kingdom's laws (Article 1(4)), so the proceeds of gambling are proceeds of crime. Money laundering carries two to ten years' imprisonment or a fine of up to SAR 5 million, or both (Article 26), and three to 15 years or up to SAR 7 million, or both, where it is committed through organised crime or by a repeat offender, among other aggravating factors (Article 27).

Secondary instruments

Ministry of Commerce conditions for licensing commercial competitions
اشتراطات ترخيص تنظيم المسابقات التجارية
Year
2024
In force
Yes
Summary
Businesses and online shops need a Ministry of Commerce licence to run a commercial competition, and running one without a licence breaches the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law. A licence covers up to two competitions a year of no more than 60 days each. Entry may not depend on a purchase or on a coupon placed inside the goods, prices may not rise during the competition, the licensee's family and staff may not enter, prizes must be handed over within seven days of the draw and every advertisement must show the licence number.

Key amendments

May 2015Royal Decree No. M/54 of 22/7/1436H added to Article 6 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law a power for the court to order a summary of the final judgment to be published in local newspapers or another medium at the convicted person's expense.

Pending legislation

Draft Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences (مشروع النظام الجزائي للعقوبات التعزيرية)
Stage
Announced by the Crown Prince on 8 February 2021 as one of four draft laws to be reviewed by the Council of Ministers and the Shura Council; the Civil Transactions Law has since been issued, but no enacted penal code appeared in the Ministry of Justice legislation portal on 24 September 2026.
What it changes
Would codify discretionary (ta'zir) offences and penalties, which are now set case by case by the courts. Its text has not been published, so whether and how it defines gambling offences is not known.

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 Saudi law provides a licence for betting, casino, poker or lottery; gambling is prohibited as contrary to Sharia, agreements on gambling are void and preparing or promoting gambling material online is a crime. The only related permit is the Ministry of Commerce licence for promotional commercial competitions, which may not require a purchase to enter and is 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 2018 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation records that casinos do not operate because they are prohibited (para. 89, criteria 22.1 and 28.1). Any act punishable under Sharia or Saudi law is a predicate offence under the Anti-Money Laundering Law of 2017, so gambling proceeds are proceeds of crime; laundering carries two to ten years' imprisonment or a fine of up to SAR 5 million, or both, rising to three to 15 years or up to SAR 7 million with aggravating factors.
KYC requirements: Not yet verified
Stake limits: Not yet verified

Advertising

Advertising permitted: No
Social media rules: Promoting gambling activity material through an information network, which includes social media, falls under Article 6(3) of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law. No separate gambling advertising rule was found.
Penalties for breach: Up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to SAR 3 million, or either (Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Article 6); at least half the maximum where the offence is committed through organised crime or by a repeat offender (Article 8). An unlicensed commercial competition is a breach of the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law, punishable by up to three years and up to SAR 1 million according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Restrictions

Preparing, publishing or promoting material for gambling activities through an information network is a crime under Article 6(3) of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law, punishable by up to five years and up to SAR 3 million, or either; anyone who incites, assists or collaborates faces the same maximum (Article 9)
A court may order a summary of the final judgment to be published in the press at the offender's expense (Article 6, as amended by Royal Decree M/54 of 1436H)
Commercial competitions need a Ministry of Commerce licence, may not require a purchase to enter and must show the licence number in every advertisement

Payments

Credit card ban: Not yet verified
Crypto stance: Not yet verified
Payment blocking regime: No gambling-specific payment blocking rule was found. Because gambling is punishable under Sharia, its proceeds are proceeds of a predicate offence under the Anti-Money Laundering Law of 2017, and dealing in them to conceal their origin is money laundering.

Enforcement

ISP blocking: Not yet verified
DNS blocking: Not yet verified
Payment blocking: Not yet verified
App store takedowns: Not yet verified
Criminal penalties: Gambling itself: a discretionary (ta'zir) penalty set by the court on the basis of Sharia, with no statutory tariff (Basic Law, Articles 38 and 48). Preparing, publishing or promoting gambling material online: up to five years and up to SAR 3 million, or either, with at least half the maximum in aggravated cases, plus confiscation and closure of the website (Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Articles 6, 8 and 13). Laundering the proceeds: two to ten years or up to SAR 5 million, or both; three to 15 years or up to SAR 7 million, or both, with aggravating factors (Anti-Money Laundering Law, Articles 26 and 27).
Operator liability: Anyone who prepares, publishes or promotes gambling material through an information network commits an offence under Article 6(3) of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law, and anyone who incites, assists or collaborates is liable to the same maximum (Article 9). The website used may be closed and the proceeds confiscated (Article 13). No prosecution of an offshore gambling operator was found.
Player liability: No statute makes playing an offence in terms, but gambling is punished as a discretionary offence under Sharia, which the Basic Law allows (Article 38). In July 2020 the Riyadh Region Police arrested 17 expatriates found gambling in a residential flat, seized SAR 20,000 and referred them to the Public Prosecution.

Notable actions

17 Bangladeshi expatriates gambling in a residential flat in Riyadh11 Jul 2020
Arrested by the Riyadh Region Police with SAR 20,000 in their possession and referred to the Public Prosecution, according to the police spokesman's statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency

Timeline

Mar 1992
Basic Law of Governance issued (Royal Order A/90 of 27/8/1412H): the Quran and Sunnah are the constitution and crimes may rest on a Sharia text
27 Mar 2007
Anti-Cyber Crime Law issued (Royal Decree M/17), Article 6(3) criminalising the preparation and promotion of gambling material online
May 2015
Royal Decree M/54 amends Article 6 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law to allow publication of the judgment at the offender's expense
14 Nov 2017
Anti-Money Laundering Law issued (Royal Decree M/20), treating any offence under Sharia or statute as a predicate offence
Jun 2018
FATF and MENAFATF adopt the Saudi mutual evaluation, recording that gambling is illegal and casinos prohibited
11 Jul 2020
Riyadh Region Police arrest 17 expatriates for gambling in a residential flat and refer them to the Public Prosecution
8 Feb 2021
Crown Prince announces four draft laws, including the Civil Transactions Law and a Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences
18 Jun 2023
Civil Transactions Law issued (Royal Decree M/191); Article 406 makes every agreement on gambling void
10 Sept 2024
Ministry of Commerce restates the licence conditions for commercial competitions, including that entry may not require a purchase

Outlook

Nothing points to legalisation: no bill or consultation on gambling was found. The development to watch is the draft Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences announced in February 2021, which would put ta'zir offences, possibly including gambling, into statute with fixed penalties; it had not been enacted by 24 September 2026 and no date has been given.

Frequently asked questions

Is gambling legal in Saudi Arabia?: No. Gambling is prohibited as contrary to Sharia, which the Basic Law of Governance makes the basis of the legal system, and no law provides a licence for any form of gambling. The 2018 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation records that gambling is illegal and that there are no casinos.
Is online gambling legal in Saudi Arabia?: No. Beyond the general prohibition, Article 6(3) of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law makes it a crime to prepare, publish or promote material for gambling activities through an information network, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 3 million, or either.
What are the penalties for gambling in Saudi Arabia?: Gambling itself is a discretionary (ta'zir) offence, so the court sets the penalty and there is no statutory tariff. Promoting or preparing gambling material online carries up to five years and SAR 3 million, and laundering gambling proceeds carries two to ten years or up to SAR 5 million, or both.
Can a gambling debt be enforced in Saudi Arabia?: No. Article 406 of the Civil Transactions Law of 2023 makes every agreement on gambling void.
Are prize draws and competitions allowed in Saudi Arabia?: Only as promotions. Businesses need a Ministry of Commerce licence for a commercial competition, entry may not require a purchase, and each licence allows up to two competitions a year of no more than 60 days each.
Is Saudi Arabia planning to change its gambling law?: No bill to legalise gambling was found. A Penal Code for Discretionary Sentences announced in 2021 would codify ta'zir offences, but it had not been enacted by September 2026 and its text is unpublished.

iGT coverage of Saudi Arabia

Switzerland adds 271 domains to offshore gambling blacklist as blocked total nears 3,000

Regulatory

6 Oct 2026

Paf Says It Has Agreed a Swiss Pilot With Meta to Screen Out Unlicensed Gambling Ads

The Åland operator behind mycasino.ch will give Meta licence documents and website addresses so Facebook and Instagram can tell Swiss licensees from offshore operators and their affiliates. Meta has said nothing publicly, and the pilot comes a week after Dutch operators took the platform to court.

Sources

نظام مكافحة الجرائم المعلوماتية، الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي رقم م/17 بتاريخ 8/3/1428هـ، المواد 6 و8 و9 و13 و14 و15، مع تعديل المادة السادسة بالمرسوم الملكي رقم م/54 بتاريخ 22/7/1436هـ
Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (laws.boe.gov.sa)
laws.boe.gov.sa did not respond to requests from outside Saudi Arabia on 2026-09-24 (connection timed out), so the page was read from the Internet Archive capture given in archiveUrl. The page shows the law as in force (ساري).
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 27 Mar 2007
Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Royal Decree No. M/17 of 8/3/1428H (27 March 2007), Articles 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15 and 16 (English translation)
Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (laws.boe.gov.sa)
laws.boe.gov.sa did not respond to requests from outside Saudi Arabia on 2026-09-24 (connection timed out), so the page was read from the Internet Archive capture given in archiveUrl. The page shows the law as in force (ساري). The Arabic text governs; the English translation renders أنشطة الميسر as "gambling activities".
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 27 Mar 2007
النظام الأساسي للحكم، الصادر بالأمر الملكي رقم أ/90 بتاريخ 27/8/1412هـ، المواد 1 و7 و38 و48
Shura Council, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published Mar 1992
Civil Transactions Law, Royal Decree No. M/191 (issued 18 June 2023, published 19 June 2023), Articles 403 to 406 and 721
Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Legal Portal, laws.moj.gov.sa)
Read in English on the portal; the Arabic text of Article 406 on the same portal reads "يقع باطلاً كلُّ اتفاقٍ على قمار" (every agreement on gambling is void). The portal gives the Hijri dates as issued 29 Dhu al-Qadah 1444 and published 1 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444.
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 19 Jun 2023
Civil Transactions Law, Royal Decree No. M/191, June 18, 2023 (Translation of Saudi Laws), Section 6: Competition Contract, Articles 403 to 406; Article 721
Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers, Official Translation Department (published on the Ministry of Investment website)
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 18 Jun 2023
Anti-Money Laundering Law, Royal Decree No. M/20, November 14, 2017 (Translation of Saudi Laws), Articles 1(4), 2, 26 and 27
Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers, Official Translation Department (published on the Ministry of Investment website)
The official translation is dated 14 November 2017; the 2018 FATF-MENAFATF evaluation (para. 5) gives 24 October 2017 as the date the law was adopted.
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 14 Nov 2017
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mutual Evaluation Report (adopted at the joint FATF-MENAFATF Plenary, June 2018; published September 2018), paras 87 and 89, criteria 22.1 and 28.1
FATF and MENAFATF
fatf-gafi.org returned HTTP 403 to a plain request on 2026-09-24, so the PDF was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 September 2026 given in archiveUrl.
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published Sept 2018
التجارة: تنظيم المسابقات التجارية يتطلب الحصول على ترخيص
Ministry of Commerce, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The page shows no Gregorian publication date; 10 September 2024 follows from the page address (10-09-24) and its last-modified date of 7 Rabi al-Awwal 1446.
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 10 Sept 2024
شرطة الرياض: القبض على 20 بنجلاديشياً (3) منهم احتجزوا مقيما وابتزاز ذويه في بلاده، و(17) ضُبطوا وهم يمتهنون لعب القمار
Saudi Press Agency (statement of the Riyadh Region Police spokesman)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 11 Jul 2020
HRH Crown Prince Announces 4 New Laws to Reform the Kingdom's Judicial Institutions
Saudi Press Agency
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 8 Feb 2021
سمو ولي العهد يعلن عن تطوير منظومة التشريعات المتخصصة (مشروع النظام الجزائي للعقوبات التعزيرية)
Saudi Press Agency
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 8 Feb 2021
البوابة القانونية: الأنظمة العدلية (بحث في نصوص الأنظمة عن "قمار" و"الميسر" و"النظام الجزائي" و"العقوبات التعزيرية"، 24 سبتمبر 2026)
Ministry of Justice, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Legal Portal, laws.moj.gov.sa)
A search of the Ministry of Justice legislation portal on 2026-09-24 returned the Civil Transactions Law (Article 406) and the Implementing Regulations of the Law of Sharia Procedure for "قمار", and no enacted penal code for discretionary (ta'zir) sentences.
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026
Who we are: background and history of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission
Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026