Is online gambling legal in Sudan?

Legal overview

Gambling is a criminal offence in Sudan under the Criminal Act, 1991. Section 80, titled playing gambling or running places for gambling, punishes anyone who gambles, runs a game or activity consisting of gambling, runs a house or place for that purpose, or abets any of these acts. Section 80(2) states that gambling includes the drawing of lotteries and any other game of luck, so the ban covers casino games, betting, poker and lotteries alike. The original text provides for imprisonment of up to one year, a fine, or whipping of up to 25 lashes. The court may also close or forfeit the place if the offender owns it or it was used with the owner's knowledge.

In 2020, during the transitional period, the Miscellaneous Amendments Act (Repeal or Amendment of Provisions Restricting Freedoms) changed the Criminal Act and largely removed whipping as a penalty. Whether section 80 itself was amended could not be confirmed, so imprisonment of up to one year or a fine remain the clearly applicable penalties.

Sudan has no gambling regulator and no licensing scheme for any operator, local or foreign. The prohibition is framed around the act of gambling rather than the place, so playing at an offshore online casino from Sudan falls under the same offence. Players have no authority to turn to in a dispute with an online operator. No official information on blocking of gambling websites or payments could be found.