The 161 casinos listed for Iraq hold mainly these licences: Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (53), Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority (gaming licences) (41), Malta Gaming Authority (35). Most frequently listed payment methods: Visa (108), Mastercard (103), Skrill (97), Neteller (86), Bank Transfer (SEPA / SWIFT) (85). A live casino is available at 148 of these sites; 100 take crypto payments. The average rating of these casinos is 6.9 out of 10.

Legal situation in Iraq

Iraq does not license any form of gambling, and gambling is treated as a prohibited activity. Under Article 389 of the Penal Code (Law No. 111 of 1969), anyone who opens or runs premises for gambling, or organises such games in public places, faces up to one year in prison and a fine of up to IQD 225,000. Cashiers in such venues face the same penalty, and people caught gambling there face up to one month in prison or a fine of up to IQD 45,000. Money and equipment are confiscated, and courts may close the venue for up to a year. The Civil Code (Law No. 40 of 1951) makes gambling and betting agreements void and lets the loser reclaim money paid within one year. Bets between sports competitors themselves are an exception.

The Penal Code was written for physical venues and does not deal with online gambling expressly. There is no licence for online casinos or betting, and we found no published rule on blocking offshore sites. Even so, online betting has spread. A 2024 study from the University of Duhok describes Kurdish-language betting sites aimed at users in the Kurdistan Region, large sums leaving the country for operators abroad, and minors opening accounts because sites do not check identity. The study recommends that the Kurdistan Regional Government order ISPs to block such sites, but it does not say whether this has happened.

Not legal: no operator can be licensed, and gambling is a criminal offence under the Penal Code, although the law does not address online play expressly.

There is no legal online casino in Iraq. Gambling debts are void under the Civil Code, and offshore sites offer no local protection.

Full legal overview for Iraq