Egypt set to block online betting apps as parliament pushes tougher digital rules

MP Ahmed Badawy says electronic betting applications will be shut down “within days,” with draft legal amendments introducing stronger penalties and tighter accountability for platforms operating in Egypt.

Egypt is preparing to begin shutting down and blocking electronic betting applications in the country “within days,” according to Ahmed Badawy, head of the Communications and Information Technology Committee in Egypt’s House of Representatives. In televised remarks carried by local media, Badawy said the move would target major betting apps, naming 1xBet among those expected to be blocked.

In a separate interview, Badawy said the planned enforcement will be coordinated between the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, alongside other relevant bodies. He added that the government has finalized draft amendments to the Information Technology law aimed at tackling high-risk digital issues, including electronic betting, harmful games and online abuse.

Badawy also argued that once a betting application is blocked, it should not be allowed to return, and he pointed to a new legislative package being prepared with “deterrent” penalties to close loopholes that helped such apps spread. He further said Egypt wants every digital platform operating in the country to have an accredited legal representative who can be held accountable in case of violations.

The planned betting-app clampdown comes as Egypt steps up regulation of online platforms more broadly. In early February, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation announced a nationwide block of the Roblox platform in coordination with the telecom regulator, framing it as part of a wider effort to regulate digital platforms.

For the market, the message is clear: Egypt is signaling a harder line on offshore-style betting access and platform accountability, raising compliance and enforcement risk not only for app distribution but also for marketing and affiliate ecosystems that drive traffic to these products.