Egypt Casinos for Foreigners Only: The Passport Rule and the Online Crackdown

Last updated: 15 November 2026

Egypt's casinos are open to foreigners only. Egyptian citizens may not gamble in them, wherever they live. The rule is written into Egypt's 2022 law on hotel and tourism entities, and press reports describe the casinos as hotel-based venues that check passports at the door and take only foreign currency. For UAE residents this splits neatly by passport: a British or Indian expat in Dubai can walk into a Cairo hotel casino, while an Egyptian working next to them cannot. Meanwhile Egypt is moving to criminalise online betting apps explicitly, according to the trade site Yogonet's reporting of statements by MP Ahmed Badawy.

Key takeaways

• Article 24 of Egypt's Law No. 8 of 2022 on Hotel and Tourism Entities says gambling may not be played in these facilities except by non-Egyptians, according to the law firm CMS.
• The rule turns on nationality, not residence. An Egyptian citizen living in the UAE is still Egyptian under this rule.
• Casinos operate inside licensed hotels, admit foreign passport holders and deal only in foreign currency, according to Yogonet and Daily News Egypt.
• Egypt began blocking online betting sites in February 2026. According to MP Ahmed Badawy, as reported by Yogonet, the government is preparing Cybercrime Law amendments under which the most serious online gambling cases could carry life imprisonment. They have not been passed.
• The UK government advises against all travel to North Sinai and to areas near the Libyan border. Cairo and the Red Sea resorts are not on its warning lists.

Can foreigners gamble in Egypt?

Yes. Foreigners are the only people who can. The law firm CMS's guide to gambling law in Egypt cites Article 24 of Law No. 8 of 2022 Regarding Hotel and Tourism Entities: gambling games "may not be played in facilities except for non-Egyptians". Casinos are further regulated by decrees from the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities. CMS says the same article caps the state's royalty at half of gambling revenue.

The 2022 law sets out the casino exception. The general rule is a ban. Yogonet reported in February 2026 that Articles 271 and 352 of the Penal Code criminalise most wagering on uncertain outcomes. CMS adds that the Civil Code (Law No. 131 of 1948, Articles 739 and 740) makes any gambling or betting agreement void. Yogonet's June 2026 report sums up the practical position: casino regulations allow only foreign passport holders to gamble, and only in licensed hotels.

Can Egyptians living in the UAE use Egyptian casinos?

No. The law says "non-Egyptians", so the test is citizenship. Living or working abroad makes no difference. Daily News Egypt put it bluntly: "Egyptian citizens aren't allowed to play in casinos". It added that tourists "have to show a passport to get in".

We found no published guidance on dual nationals, such as an Egyptian-British citizen arriving on a British passport. The law does not address the case in the text CMS quotes. We would not assume a second passport changes the answer. Ask the casino before you travel.

The same nationality logic runs through the region. Lebanon's Casino du Liban bars certain groups of Lebanese nationals. Georgia sets 25 as the minimum age for its own citizens and 18 for foreigners. Our guide to the nearest casino to Dubai compares these rules side by side.

Where are Egypt's casinos, and what are the rules inside?

They sit inside hotels. Standalone casinos are not described in any source we found. Daily News Egypt reported that gambling facilities exist in three cities, with Cairo having the most (13). That article was last updated in February 2022, so treat the count as dated. One well-known example is the Omar Khayyam Casino at the Cairo Marriott, which shares its name with the hotel.

Rule — What the sources say — Source type

• Who may play — Non-Egyptians only — Law No. 8 of 2022, Art. 24 (via CMS)
• Proof at the door — Passport — Daily News Egypt; Yogonet
• Where — Licensed hotels — Yogonet
• Currency — Foreign currency only; Daily News Egypt says US dollars — Yogonet; Daily News Egypt

We found no statutory minimum age for Egyptian casinos in the sources we could check, so we do not state one. Expect to be asked for your passport, and to play in dollars rather than Egyptian pounds.

What is Egypt doing about online gambling?

It is cracking down. On 9 February 2026 Yogonet reported that Egyptian authorities had begun blocking access to online sports betting sites. The announcement came from MP Ahmed Badawy, head of the House Communications and Information Technology Committee. In February he also said, according to a later Yogonet report, that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation were working to block roughly 80 per cent of online betting apps.

The next step is legislation. In May 2026, Badawy said, according to Yogonet, that the government was expected to submit amendments to the Cybercrime Law that would name electronic gambling directly and raise penalties. The most serious cases, involving organised crime and large-scale fraud, could carry life imprisonment. A separate draft bill, introduced by MP Martha Mahrous in January 2025, proposed two to five years in prison and fines of EGP 1 million to EGP 5 million for agents and intermediaries. It proposed fines of up to EGP 10 million for platform operators. Badawy said the government was drafting its own version rather than adopting hers.

As of late June 2026, Yogonet reported, the amendments had not been scheduled for debate. We found no later report that they have passed. Some drafts have raised penalties for users of banned platforms, but no official text confirms that.

Does any of this affect UAE residents?

Three things matter if you live in the UAE.

Your passport decides entry. Any UAE resident who is not an Egyptian citizen falls on the "non-Egyptian" side of the line. Egyptian citizens do not, wherever they hold residency.

Online play is off-limits in both countries. UAE residents sometimes assume an offshore site is fine while travelling. Egypt's Penal Code already criminalises most wagering, according to Yogonet, and the authorities are blocking offshore sites. Unlicensed gambling is also illegal in the UAE, as our explainer on whether online gambling is legal in the UAE sets out. Apps that claim otherwise are a common scam, which our guide to fake UAE lottery and casino apps covers.

Bringing money home has rules. Large sums of cash must be declared at UAE customs, as explained in our guide to bringing gambling winnings into the UAE.

Is it safe to travel to Egypt from the UAE?

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its Egypt advice on 27 October 2026. It advises against all travel to North Sinai Governorate and to within 20 km of the Egypt-Libya border, except the town of El Salloum, where it advises against all but essential travel. It advises against all but essential travel to parts of South Sinai, the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, most of the Western Desert and the Hala'ib Triangle. Cairo and the Red Sea resorts are not on either list. The FCDO also warns that "the context in the Middle East remains deeply unpredictable and the risk of sudden escalation is high". When we checked the airlines' route pages in October, flydubai listed 3 hours 40 minutes from Dubai to Cairo's Sphinx airport, and Emirates 3 hours 50 minutes to Cairo International.

This site does not encourage gambling, at home or abroad. If you are worried about your own gambling, our guide to gambling help in the UAE lists the support that exists.

How does Egypt compare with Cyprus?

Both host UAE visitors, but with opposite models. Cyprus admits its own citizens and draws much of its casino revenue from them. Its regulator says Cypriots, along with players from Israel, Lebanon and the UAE, bring in the largest share. Egypt shuts its own citizens out entirely. Our report on Cyprus casinos and UAE players has the regulator's figures.

FAQ

Can Egyptians go to casinos in Egypt? No. Article 24 of Law No. 8 of 2022 limits gambling in hotel and tourism facilities to non-Egyptians.

Can an Egyptian living in Dubai gamble in an Egyptian casino? No. The rule is based on nationality, not residence, so an Egyptian citizen is excluded wherever they live.

Do I need a passport to enter a casino in Egypt? Yes. Press reports say foreigners must show a passport to get in.

What currency do Egyptian casinos use? Foreign currency only. Daily News Egypt reports that the accepted currency is US dollars.

Is online gambling legal in Egypt? No. Online gambling is not a regulated activity, authorities began blocking betting sites in February 2026, and Cybercrime Law amendments are being prepared.

Which Egyptian casinos are near Dubai? Cairo has the most hotel casinos. It is about three hours 40 to 50 minutes from Dubai by scheduled flight.

Further reading

• Nearest casino to Dubai: legal casinos ranked by flight time
• Cyprus casinos and UAE players
• Is online gambling legal in the UAE right now?
• Can I bring gambling winnings to the UAE?
• Gambling problem in the UAE? Where to get help

Sources

• CMS, "Gambling laws in Egypt", CMS Expert Guide to Gambling Laws in Africa (16 August 2023): https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-to-gambling-laws-in-africa/egypt
• Yogonet, "Egypt moves toward explicit ban on online gambling apps" (25 June 2026): https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/06/25/124981-egypt-moves-toward-explicit-ban-on-online-gambling-apps
• Yogonet, "Egypt to block online betting sites as part of unlicensed gambling crackdown" (9 February 2026): https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/09/117502-egypt-to-block-online-betting-sites-as-part-of-unlicensed-gambling-crackdown
• Daily News Egypt, "Gaming in Egypt: is it possible?" (2 October 2019, updated 24 February 2022): https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2019/10/02/gaming-in-egypt-is-it-possible/
• Marriott, Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/caieg-cairo-marriott-hotel-and-omar-khayyam-casino/overview/
• UK FCDO, Egypt travel advice (updated 27 October 2026): https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt
• Casino in Dubai, "Nearest Casino to Dubai" (flydubai and Emirates route-page flight times, checked 17 October 2026): https://casino-in-dubai.com/news/nearest-casino-to-dubai
• Cyprus Mail, "Cyprus casino revenue hits €227 million amid competition from Greece and UAE" (2 February 2026): https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/02/02/cyprus-casino-revenue-hits-e227-million-amid-competition-from-greece-and-uae