Gambling Laws in Saudi Arabia

There is no legal gambling in Saudi Arabia. Article 1 of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia states that the kingdom’s “religion shall be Islam and its constitution shall be the Book of God and the Sunnah (Traditions) of His Messenger, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him (PBUH).” Therefore, identifying the Qur’an and the Sunnah traditions as the main sources of legislation, gambling in Saudi Arabia is illegal.  And although it is not explicitly prohibited, the Basic Law makes online gambling in Saudi Arabia also illegal. In fact, this is made clear in Article 6 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law that prohibits the “preparation, publication and promotion of pornographic or gambling sites which violates the public morals.”

Is Online Gambling Legal in Saudi Arabia? No. Gambling, including online gambling, is considered to be illegal, according to the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia.

Online Casinos in Saudi Arabia

There are no online casino sites in Saudi Arabia. As online gambling in the country is prohibited under the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia, there are no Saudi Arabia online casino licenses on the offer. And although there is an active blockage on any online gambling content, illegal access to casino sites from Saudi Arabia is frequently reported by many international operators.

Online Poker in Saudi Arabia

Online poker sites in Saudi Arabia are also not legal, as of July 2019. Although there are no specific Saudi online poker laws, the general prohibition on gambling coming from the application of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia holds for this game too.

Online Lottery in Saudi Arabia

Even though there are no separate Saudi lotto laws, the general prohibition on gambling coming from the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia holds for lotto too. Thus, there hasn't been room for a long-established tradition of lottery games in the country, both as gambling games or for charitable purposes. And as of July 2019, there are no online lotto sites in Saudi Arabia.

Online Bingo in Saudi Arabia

As it is the case with the other gambling sites, online bingo sites in Saudi Arabia are not legal. Although there are no specific Saudi bingo laws, the general prohibition on online gambling in the country, coming from the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia, applies to this game as well. 

Online Sports Betting in Saudi Arabia

Online sportsbook sites in Saudi Arabia are also illegal. As it is the case with other gambling games, online betting also falls under the general prohibition on gambling coming from the application of the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia. But although there is an active blockage on any online gambling content, illegal access to offshore platforms from Saudi Arabia is frequently reported by many international online sportsbooks.

Online DFS in Saudi Arabia

There are no online DFS sites in Saudi Arabia. Although the status of Daily Fantasy Sports is a frequent topic of discussion between lawmakers worldwide, it is plausible to suppose that this game, notwithstanding the status, will also fall under the prohibition coming from the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia.