On September 2, Lottomatica announced its plan to absorb Cirsa, which includes acquiring four casinos in Morocco, integrating them into one of Europe's largest gambling companies. While Morocco constitutes about 2% of Cirsa's total revenue and approximately 4% of its earnings, both firms have yet to express intentions to pursue an online betting license in North Africa. This merger highlights the disparities within Morocco's gambling sector.
Land-based gambling presents opportunities for international investments, evidenced by Cirsa’s expansion in Marrakech last November. In contrast, there is no comparable licensing process for private online betting in the region.
Cirsa's initial public offering (IPO) prospectus makes it clear: "Online gaming only exists for betting, which is operated by a state agency," referring to Morocco's restrictions, which do not permit online casino games.
This gap is mirrored in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, where governments have prioritized prohibition and strict enforcement over the establishment of private online gambling markets.
In Morocco, sports betting, including online and virtual events, remains exclusively managed by the state-owned Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS), which is predominantly state-held at 90% and directed by the Minister of Sports. The exclusivity granted to MDJS reportedly extends to 2036 under a private agreement made in 2016. Operationally, this arrangement functions under a tendered management contract as opposed to a typical licensing framework. Activities related to unauthorized gaming establishments or lotteries are criminalized as per articles 282 to 285 of Morocco's penal code.
MDJS has sought legal recourse to combat offshore betting activities. On January 12, the Casablanca commercial court ordered Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc, and Inwi to block access to 19 identified betting sites and local payment intermediaries, imposing a daily fine of MAD10,000 for non-compliance. The judicial reasoning indicated that these internet providers held the technical power to halt illegal betting site access.
However, this ruling was short-lived; on January 26, the appeals court stayed the decision. Reports from Medias24 on February 12 noted that the court annulled the initial order and dismissed MDJS's claims, thereby lifting the penalty, although MDJS retains the option to appeal the ruling.
MDJS expressed concern over the financial implications of unregulated offshore betting. In a parliamentary sports forum in December, Director General Younes El Mechrafi claimed that illegal sports betting reached approximately MAD3.5 billion in 2024, costing the state an estimated MAD700 million, a loss evenly divided between the national sports development fund and the Treasury.
In Tunisia, the existing gambling framework is based on Decree-Law 74-20 from October 1974. The only authorized avenue for sports betting is Promosport, the state company overseeing the activity, while horse racing betting is facilitated by Agence Tunisienne de Solidarité. Currently, the Tunisian parliament is debating two different perspectives on online gambling. Yet, neither has initiated a licensing structure.
A proposed bill, numbered 2026/009, was introduced by 23 deputies on January 20 and referred to committee on January 29. It aims to amend the 1974 decree to ban online gambling entirely and obligate internet and payment service providers to block such activities. Yasser Gourari, an MP endorsing the proposal, characterized online gambling as a "social scourge," citing severe personal consequences for gamblers, including instances of despair leading to suicidal thoughts after incurring significant losses.
Despite its introduction, the process for this bill has stagnated after one committee meeting on February 3.
Simultaneously, the Tunisian government is pursuing the gambling issue via an alternate bill. In November 2024, Sports Minister Sadok Mourali announced a gambling and sports betting bill was being circulated for public consultation among 26 institutions, such as the central bank and competition authority. By the following year, Mourali stated that the draft had been thoroughly revised to align with international standards concerning sports betting and anti-money laundering, although the text has yet to be published. Its potential to permit private operators remains unclear, as there are indications it could serve to modernize Promosport’s current monopoly rather than introduce competition.
In Egypt, the regulatory landscape is similarly stringent. The existing laws primarily govern physical establishments. Law 8 of 2022 prohibits gambling activities within venues unless operated by non-Egyptians. No legal framework is established for online betting.
By October 2024, as part of an enforcement push, the former prosecutor general ordered the freezing of e-wallets and suspension of mobile services used by betting agents. Additionally, in February, regulators announced efforts to work with telecoms and media authorities to block around 80% of betting applications shortly thereafter.
Ahmed Badawi, the chairman of the House communication committee, indicated in May plans to amend the anti-cybercrime law to explicitly address online betting, raising the possibility of life imprisonment for serious violations. However, a concrete bill has yet to emerge.
In January 2025, MP Martha Mahrous proposed a private member's bill that called for prison sentences of two to five years and significant fines for those facilitating online gambling. This initiative, too, has been dormant.
As of the adjournment of parliament on July 22, 162 laws were passed, none related to betting. Reports suggest electronic betting remains on the agenda but has not yet been addressed. The House reconvenes on October 1.
Across North Africa, a consistent licensing gap exists; each market has reached a similar situation through various means. Morocco protects its exclusive rights with legal action, even though it has yet to succeed. In Tunisia, competing prohibitory and regulatory bills have faltered, while Egypt resorts to punitive enforcement measures.
Without a licensing option, online betting by private operators remains excluded, leading to governmental efforts to clamp down on offshore demand through blocking and criminalization rather than integrating it into a regulated environment.
This situation stands in sharp contrast to land-based gambling, where both Moroccan and Egyptian casinos function within recognized frameworks and attract international investment. The unauthorized online betting market’s scale remains elusive, with MDJS's estimate of around MAD3.5 billion annually being the lone figure available. There are no similar public assessments for Tunisia or Egypt, rendering these markets challenging to monitor or tax, while efforts to suppress them through blocking have not addressed the underlying demand.
