Gambling is now a multi-billion dollar industry globally, with The Economist placing the official figure of the legal gambling industry at $335 billion, in a 2010 study. However, the illegal gambling industry is believed to be worth even more than the legal gambling circuit.

If you answer yes on any of these questions, you should read this articel…

While many countries have legalized gambling or relaxed the laws related to gambling, it is still seen as a taboo in many parts of the world, particularly because it is considered as sinful according to the Islamic law, and Islam is the second most popular religion in the world. Gambling laws, especially in countries which are tourist hotspots, often get a lot of unaware travellers into serious trouble.

Did you know that 75% of all people arrested for illegal gambling across the world in 2015 were foreigners?

 

While you might originate from a country where gambling laws are relaxed, something as minor as an active betting application on your mobile phone could get you into unimaginable trouble, should you be travelling to certain Islamic countries in the Middle East. While in some countries where gambling is illegal, first time offenders are charged with just a small fine, in other countries they could be imprisoned for more than a year, along with certain forms of physical punishment.

Hence, the following guide is a useful tool for potential travellers who love to gamble, so that they are aware of the risks involved with gambling in certain countries. Lets take a look at some of the countries where gambling is illegal and the varying strictness of laws with regards to offences related to gambling.

 

The Middle East

Gambling is illegal in most Islamic countries, as it is considered Haraam (sinful), according to the Islamic Sharia law, hence it is strictly banned in almost all of the Muslim dominated countries in the Middle East.

 

1. Qatar

Qatar has some of the strictest laws against gambling. Despite being considered as one of the richest nations in the world, there is not a single legal casino, poker hall or bingo club in the country.

Laws – Qatari laws prevent gambling in any form, even online. People caught gambling in private can be sentenced to 3 months in prison along with 3000 Riyals ($800), while those caught gambling in public can be punished with a 6 month prison sentence and a fine of 6000 Riyals.

 

2. Bahrain

Despite being the first country in the Middle East to build a world class Formula 1 racetrack, Bahrain has banned all forms of gambling within the country.

Laws – The government has proposed harsh penalties for all un-Islamic activities such as consumption of alcohol, gambling, adultery etc. A fine of BD 300 ($800) along with a 3-month prison sentence has been set for first time offenders for gambling in public. Repeat offenders have to pay a fine of BD 500 along with a full year in prison.

Example – In a 2014 crackdown on gambling agencies, the government confiscated the licenses of over 120 illegal gambling outlets, which led to several high profile arrests.

3. UAE

One of the richest countries in the world, the UAE is famous for large scale betting on horseracing, however all other forms of gambling are strictly prohibited as the Arab Sharia Law is one of the strictest in the world.

Laws – Those caught browsing online gambling websites or indulging in public gambling can be sentenced to 2 years in prison along with a staggering fine of upto 20,000 Dirhams ($5400). Repeat offenders may be tried in court and severe physical punishments have also been meted out in the past.

Example – 33 Bangladeshi internationals were arrested in Sharjah after the police got a tip off about an Asian gang operating an illegal gambling racket in the city.

http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/crime/33-arrested-for-gambling-in-sharjah-1.1595285

4. Saudi Arabia

The super rich hub of Arabs in the middle east, Saudi Arabia is also one of the strictest enforcers of the Sharia law as is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, the revered book of Muslims all over the world. Gambling in every single form is completely prohibited in the country.

Laws – Breaking a law in any Arabic country can lead to disastrous consequences, especially for foreigners. Anyone caught gambling in the country can be sentenced to prison for a up to 1 year, along with a hefty fine. There have been cases of flogging as well, for repeat offenders.

Examples:

South/South East Asia

Many Asian countries have outlawed several methods of gambling, especially the Islamic countries. Even some of the developed countries have had their gambling laws rechecked and rewritten with a view to help the nation’s economy (example – Singapore). While initially conservative groups in Asia were apprehensive of gambling of any sort, many have now recognized the value that gambling can bring as well as its contribution to the nation’s economy. This has forced the governments to rethink their holds on gambling and many countries are now lenient towards various gambling methods.

 

5. Pakistan

As it is a 95% Muslim dominated country, Pakistan has banned all forms of gambling apart from betting on Horseracing. A country knee deep in match-fixing allegations when it comes to the sport of cricket, Pakistan has been trying several methods to curb gambling in the area.

Laws – According to the Prevention Of Gambling Act, 1977, there is a minor fee of 1000 PKR ($10) along with a prison sentence of up to one year.

Examples:

6. Brunei

Brunei is a small but wealthy country neighboring Malaysia, with some of the strictest laws against gambling. The country is infamous for its high rate of executing criminals, often criticized by human rights activists.

Laws – Section 4(a) of the Common Gaming Act suggests a maximum fine of up to $20000 and imprisonment for 12 months. Brunei has also resorted to caning against repeat gambling offenders in the past.

Example – 28 people were arrested in a high profile raid by the police in the city of Lumut in 2014, which was the largest single raid for a gambling case. http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2014/01/14/police-arrest-28people-gambling

 

7. North Korea

By far the most controversial nation in the world, primarily due to their dictatorial leader, North Korea has the strangest gambling laws.

Laws – The most striking feature of North Korea’s gambling laws is that only foreigners/tourists are allowed to gamble while citizens are strictly barred. Even though there is a high profile casino in the capital city, punishments for local citizens caught illegal gambling can range from a few dollars to even physical torture, as is the norm in the country. Online gambling is strictly prohibited in the country with a fine of at least $1000 and a potential 2-year prison sentence. An even more outrageous law in the country is, that if a person breaks a law, his whole family is punished for up to 3 generations.

Example – There is absolutely no scope of online gambling in North Korea as the country regulates all internet activity amongst its citizens. The regulation is to such an extent that normal citizens are simply unable to access the World Wide Web. http://www.pokerlaws.org/asia/north-korea

 

8. Singapore

Singapore is one of the most developed and wealthy nations in Asia, and though it boasts of two amazing casinos in Sentosa as well as Marina Bay Sands, public gambling as well as online betting is completely banned in the island nation.

Laws – Online betting in any form is prohibited in Singapore. Sports betting is allowed only through a government-operated system known as Singapore Pools, with outlets located in different parts of the country. People caught illegally gambling can be fined up to SGD 2500 as well as a 3-month prison sentence.

Examples:

9. China

Gambling is essentially illegal in Mainland China, since 1949. However if we include Hong Kong as well as Macau, then the People’s Republic Of China as a whole ranks as the number one when it comes to generating overall gambling revenue.

Laws – Non-approved methods of gambling is a punishable crime in China, according to Article 303 of the Criminal Law of PRC. While legal lotteries are common in the country, online gambling and sports betting is prohibited, while casinos are largely banned.

The law officially states that an individual found running a gambling house/den, or taking up gambling as a profession, can be imprisoned for up to 3 years and will also have to pay a substantial fine for his crimes.

Examples:

 

10. India

With the second largest population in the world, cracking down on all forms of crime is understandably difficult in India. The country is knee deep in corruption and also runs one of the biggest match fixing rackets in the world, mainly attributed to the intensely popular sport of cricket, which is treated as a religion here. While gambling as a whole is illegal in the country by law, it is not monitored as strictly as some other countries, as curbing gambling is not seen as one of the priorities of the central government. The illegal gambling industry in India is believed to be worth over $30 billion per year.

 

Laws – India still follows the British-imposed Public Gambling Act of 1867, with negligible changes made to the act ever since. Hence there is no scope of any law banning online gambling in India, as online gambling was invented more than 120 years after this law was first implemented. The law states that any person found running a gambling institution, in possession of a gambling device, or even caught visiting/assisting a gambling institution is liable to be prosecuted with a fine of around Rs 200 ($4) along with a prison sentence of up to 3 months. http://sportsbetting.net.in/gambling-laws/

Betting on horse racing however, is completely legal in India, with prestigious events taking place in historic cities such as Jaipur, attended by high profile businessmen and politicians with huge stakes involved.

There are only two states in India with legalized casinos, i.e Goa and Sikkim. Goa is a tourist hotspot because of its legalized gambling structure.

Examples:

11. Taiwan

Taiwan has strict laws when it comes to gambling. Many Taiwanese people flock to Macau for their gambling indulgence, as the police often cracks down heavily on illegal gamblers in the country.

Laws – According the Criminal Code of the People’s Republic Of China, as well as the Taiwan Criminal Code, gambling in all forms is illegal, although state run lotteries are exempted from the law, as are certain sports based lotteries. The penalties can range from $200 to a 2-year prison sentence for professional/repetitive gamblers.

Example – In January 2016, 53 people were arrested for a presidential elections related gambling racket, in one of the biggest gambling crackdowns in the nation’s history. $60 million was seized after this operation. https://www.pokertube.com/poker-news/poker-business-industry/biggest-online-gambling-ring-bust-in-taiwan-history

 

12. Vietnam

Despite the Vietnamese people being indirectly involved with all sorts of gambling since centuries, it is still illegal as per the law. The only fully legalized method of gambling is through government approved lotteries such as the Southern Lottery, established in 1999. Casinos exists but only those with foreign passports are allowed to enter.

Laws – Vietnam has very unconventional laws for gambling i.e the punishment for gamblers caught in the act often depends on the amount of money they had gambled. For example, Article 248 of The Vietnamese Penal Code states that if a gambler wins or loses between 2 to 50 million Dong ($100-2500), then there is a substantial fine along with a prison sentence ranging from 3 months to 3 years. However, if a person is caught gambling more than 50 million Dong, then he/she is liable to be imprisoned for a minimum of 3 years, which can extend till 7 years eventually.

Example – A group of 23 illegal gamblers were arrested after the police conducted a massive raid after a tipoff. The group was running an illegal football-betting racket during the Euro 2016 Championships, and had reportedly gambled close to $300 Million. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/vietnam-busts-us-340/2871926.html

 

13. Thailand

Gambling is officially outlawed in the Kingdom Of Thailand, though just like pretty much everything else that is illegal in that country, it is still very popular amongst the underground operators. It is estimated that about 70% of the Thai population indulge in gambling, and the illegal gambling industry is said to be worth close to $10 billion per year. Many Thai people flock to nearby Cambodia and Laos for their wish to play in legal casinos.

Laws – The gambling act from 1935 establishes that any form of gambling is outlawed in the country, and is punishable with a monetary fine ranging from 1000 Baht to 10000 Baht, along with up to a year in prison. In 1943, a Playing Cards Act was established which actually makes selling as well as merely owning a pack of cards a criminal offence, punishable by law.

Examples:

14. Bangladesh

A tiny but densely populated Islamic nation in the Indian Subcontinent, Bangladesh has strict anti-gambling laws like many other Islamic nations.

Laws – The law states that a first time offender with regards to illegal gambling is liable for a one-month prison sentence and small fine not exceeding $10. The police often conduct substantial raids to crackdown on gambling rackets. The only legalized form of gambling is horse racing.

Example – Cricket match fixing is rampant in Bangladesh, and hundreds of people have been arrested with this charge since Bangladesh became a heavyweight in the sport of cricket, around 2007.

African Countries

Africa is often considered a financially weak continent overall. Pictures of malnourished African kids are often shared to spread awareness about wastage of resources etc. Therefore it is understandable that gambling isn’t exactly the top priority of many of the top nations in the continent either. However the gambling industry is still sizeable in Africa and only very few countries have outlawed it.

 

15. Nigeria

One of the better-known African countries, Nigeria currently suffers from large scale corruption and violence. Gambling in the country is officially outlawed, apart from the 3 licensed casinos and the national lottery. The country is ravaged by the football mafia as well, which organizes large scale betting rackets involving their most popular sport, and are difficult to regularize, if not impossible.

 

Laws – Anyone caught unlawful gambling is liable to be charged with a small fine along with a 3 month prison sentence. It is also illegal to be caught in possession of a gambling machine under the Gaming Machines Act. The punishments for the operators of gambling dens are far more severe, however the police force in the country is generally deemed unfit to monitor underground activities.

Example – National team football star Brown Ideye recently admitted that he used to partake in several forms of gambling in his youth, and his house was once raided by the police while a game of poker was going on and he was arrested along with several of his friends. http://thenationonlineng.net/brown-ideye-i-was-arrested-for-gambling/ .

 

16. Gambia

The smallest country in Mainland Africa, Gambia was a popular gambling hotspot until very recently. In March 2015, the government decided to ban all forms of gambling, citing the industry as ‘exploitative’ and detrimental to the nation’s growth.

Laws – The ban states that all existing casinos and gambling dens must cease operations with immediate effect or face sanctions from the government, which could be a hefty fine or up to a year in prison.