It is important to understand that Islam is the official religion of the country, pursuant to the Constitution of the UAE. Gambling is prohibited in Islam, and this forms the basis for the federal and local emirate laws that prohibit all forms of gambling, as well as the advertising of any form of gaming.

In many jurisdictions, the legality of gambling and gambling-related advertisements is contentious and continues to be topical. However, these issues, more often than not, tend to be focused on concerns with children or minors’ exposure to gambling culture, as well as protecting vulnerable people, as opposed to having a religious element driving the need for regulation.

The UAE regime is relatively straight-forward: subject to the exceptions we set out below, gambling and any gambling-related advertising in any way, shape or form is prohibited. Our view is that this includes offering online gambling services to UAE residents from offshore.

Exceptions

1. In fact, the UAE is one of the strictest countries in the world where gambling is concerned and you could face up to 2 years in prison if you are found guilty. Of course, gambling is hard to come by and you can’t simply stumble upon it. But just because something is illegal doesn’t mean it isn’t available.
2. United Arab Emirates Most of the Islamic countries in the gulf have very strict laws concerning gambling, with the majority outright banning the practise in reality. For online gambling the area is a little more shady across the Middle East mainly because many governments haven’t put in any proper legislation for this field, however this is.

Betting Laws In The UAE It might come as a surprise that gambling and certain forms of sports betting are illegal in the UAE. Especially with Dubai being a host of the prestigious horse race, Dubai World Cup Night. Bookings from all over the world prepare wagers for different sports but cannot be actually enjoyed by people from the UAE.

Despite the blanket prohibition on gambling, it is permissible to run competitions (including raffles) in the UAE, subject to prior permission from the relevant regulatory department.

Additionally, the UAE Civil Code permits wagers in specific circumstances – namely in respect of racing, shooting, sports and trials of strength. A number of requirements must be met: there must be certainty of the prize, certainty of the person who must give the prize, and certainty of the subject matter and scope of the competition.

However, it is not as simple as trying to work within the requirements set out in the Civil Code. A prize in a contract for betting can only be paid to the winner – being the party to the contract who wins the contest through his own efforts and skill. The implication is that any arrangement that may lead to the prize being paid to a third party (i.e. someone who is not a participant in the race/contest, etc.) would be outside the scope of what is permitted - and thus illegal ‘gambling’ and subject to the criminal provisions that prohibit gambling and which we set out below.

UAE Gambling Laws

A range of local laws set out the prohibitions on gambling and gambling-related advertising. Some of these laws expressly set out the prohibition, while others deal with it indirectly. By this, we mean that given the religious element underpinning the law of the UAE, there are a number of other prohibitions on acts which are contrary to public morality, or which are contrary to Islamic beliefs. It is important to note that these laws not only apply to those in the UAE, but may also have extra-territorial application, depending on the circumstance.

1. The Penal Code defines gambling as “a game whereby each of the parties thereto agrees – in case he is the loser – to pay the winner a certain sum of money or any other thing agreed upon”. It makes gambling an offence punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine. It also prohibits the opening or managing of a venue for gambling, or organizing a game of chance in a public place or in a venue for gambling.
2. The Cyber Crimes Law sets out a penalty of imprisonment and/or a fine for anyone caught establishing, managing or running a website, or transmitting, sending, publishing or re-publishing through a computer network gambling activities and whatever may afflict public morals. It also prohibits producing, creating, preparing, sending or saving for exploitation, distribution or display to others through a computer network, gambling activities and whatever may afflict public morals.
3. There are also media regulations which require media corporations and outlets to comply with the various standards in relation to advertisements which are broadcasted or published through such corporations. The standards relevant to gambling-related advertisements are:

• Not to offend God and Islamic beliefs and to respect other divine religions.
• Not to publish any pictures or words that may breach public morals.
• Not to spread and disseminate information which may prejudice children and women and any other social categories and provoke violence and hatred.

1. 4. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority implements an “Internet Access Management” policy. This policy requires internet service providers to block access to websites providing illegal content or content that is inconsistent with the moral or public norms of the UAE. As a result, access to gambling related content is generally blocked from viewing on the internet in the UAE.

It is not a good idea to go gambling in the United Arab Emirates. As is typical of strictly Islamic countries, the U.A.E. prohibits all forms of gambling. Not only is it illegal to start any sort of gambling business, but it is also illegal to participate in games of chance. This means you may not play casino games, bet on sports or play poker.

Of course, some betting websites accept customers from the U.A.E. despite the country’s strong stance against gaming. If you’re willing to take the risk, there are a few sites that will accept your business. Just make sure you don’t get caught.

Best UAE Betting Sites

None of these UAE betting sites openly advertise or go out of their way to attract customers from the country, but they will allow you to sign up for an account. You can then deposit via a range of deposit methods that may or may not work. You’ll need a bank account or access to certain types of prepaid gift cards to participate.

The Emirati dirham is not accepted by default but you may still deposit. What will happen is the gaming site will automatically exchange your currency for some other currency, usually euros or British pounds. Your account will be held in that currency until you withdraw. At that point, the money is converted back into dirhams and sent back to your bank account.

How real is the risk?

This is a hard question to answer definitively because the United Arab Emirates do not publish statistics on gambling-related arrests. The government actively censors the internet and supposedly blocks access to known gaming sites. What we don’t know is if there’s actually someone who monitors the internet and bank accounts to see if illegal online gambling is taking place.

On the other hand, we do know that the UAE has a cyber-crime unit that monitors the internet for violations of certain laws. Numerous people have been arrested by Emirati authorities for activities that take place online. The only news releases I can find relate to political activity (such as Tweeting about politics).

So in summary, we know the authorities have the capability and the will to monitor the internet and take action against political dissidents. We also know the authorities routinely crack down on illegal gambling dens in the real world. What’s unclear is whether or not any of this extends to online gambling in the UAE.

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Gambling Laws in the UAE

Gambling is clearly outlawed in the United Arab Emirates. This goes for locals as well as tourists in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and everywhere else across the country. The UAE penal code defines gambling as:

Is Gambling Illegal In Uae

“Gambling is a game in which each party agrees that if he loses, he will pay the party who wins the game an amount of money or anything else agreed upon.”

This leaves no wiggle room for any form of betting. If there is money or anything else of value on the line, it’s classified as gambling. The punishment for being caught is as follows:

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“Whoever gambles shall be punished by detention for a maximum period of two years or by a fine not exceeding twenty thousand Dirhams. A penalty of detention or a fine shall be inflicted if the crime occurs in a public place, a place open to the public, or in a place or house prepared for gambling.”

Gambling Illegal Uae News

We can safely assume that this code extends to the internet due to the government internet censorship program including gambling-related websites. No specific gaming sites are mentioned on the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) website, but it does have a category for “content that is relevant to gambling.”