Egypt to shut down online gambling apps, lawmaker says

Monday, February 9, 2026 7:34 PM
Photo: By Abdelrhman 1990 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81844916
  • Egypt Independent

The head of the Communications and Information Technology Committee in the Egyptian House of Representatives, MP Ahmed Badawy, announced that the government will begin shutting down and blocking online betting apps in Egypt soon, such as the 1XBET app.

No blocked gambling apps will be allowed to return, he said, with new legislation is currently being drafted that includes deterrent penalties for any applications which encourage betting and gambling, thereby eliminating legal loopholes that allowed their proliferation in the past.

Badawy emphasized that the state is not against technological development or digital transformation.

However, he stressed that this development must not be allowed to to harm society, explaining that addressing these negative aspects requires decisive decisions and clear laws.