Is online gambling legal in Morocco?

Legal overview

Morocco has no licensing system for private online gambling. Running unauthorised gaming houses and lotteries is a criminal offence under Articles 282 to 285 of the Penal Code, and the legal forms of gambling are reserved to state-controlled bodies and licensed land-based casinos. Sports betting, including online betting and virtual sports, is the exclusive preserve of the Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS), a state-owned company whose monopoly rests on legislation from 1966 and 1970, including Dahir No. 1.70.137, and on a 2016 convention with the state that reportedly extends its exclusivity to 2036 and expressly covers online betting. Lotteries are run by the state Loterie Nationale, and land-based casinos operate in cities such as Marrakech.

Online casino games are not authorised: the offering prospectus of casino group Cirsa, which runs casinos in Morocco, states that online gaming exists only for betting operated by a state body and that online casino games are not allowed. Foreign sites that accept Moroccan players therefore operate without any authorisation, and the Minister of Economy and Finance told Parliament in December 2024 that operators such as 1xBet were acting illegally on Moroccan territory.

Enforcement against offshore sites has been tested in the courts. On 12 January 2026 the Casablanca commercial court ordered Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc and Inwi to block 19 foreign betting sites, with a penalty of MAD 10,000 per day of delay, at the request of the MDJS. The commercial court of appeal suspended the order later that month and in February 2026 annulled it, holding that an internet provider cannot be forced to block sites whose content and legality it does not control. Players using foreign sites have no legal protection in Morocco.

Verification status: this overview is based on secondary sources and has not yet been checked against the official law text or the regulator. Confirm the details with the national authority before relying on them.