UAE Cybercrime Law and Gambling Websites: What Article 38 Actually Says

Last updated: 15 November 2026

Under UAE cybercrime law, gambling websites are covered by Article 38 of Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021, which makes it a crime to create, manage or supervise a website, or use any information network, to broadcast or promote gambling "in the cases other than the authorized". The penalty is imprisonment and/or a fine of between Dh250,000 and Dh500,000. The provision is aimed at the people who run and push gambling online: operators, site administrators, affiliates, tipsters and influencers. Players who simply place bets are dealt with under a different law, the Penal Code.

Key takeaways

• Article 38, titled "Promotion of Gambling Activities", covers anyone who creates, manages or supervises a website, or uses an information network, to "broadcast, transmit, disseminate, re-disseminate, or promote" gambling.
• The penalty is "imprisonment and/ or a fine of not less than (AED 250,000) … or more than (AED 500,000)". A court can impose prison, a fine, or both.
• "Website" in the decree-law expressly includes social media platforms and "personal pages and accounts", so Instagram profiles and Telegram channels are within reach.
• The words "in the cases other than the authorized" leave room for licensed operators. As of 4 November 2026 the GCGRA register lists three operators.
• On conviction, the devices used and the proceeds are forfeited, and the court can order the site closed or blocked.
• Players are not the target of Article 38. Gambling itself is punished under Article 461 of the Penal Code: incarceration of up to two years or a fine of up to Dh50,000.

What does Article 38 of the UAE cybercrime law say?

Here is the full official English text, from the UAE government's legislation portal:

"Whoever creates, manages or supervises a website, or uses information network to broadcast, transmit, disseminate, re-disseminate, or promote practicing of gambling activities in the cases other than the authorized shall be punished with imprisonment and/ or a fine of not less than (AED 250,000) two hundred fifty thousand dirhams or more than (AED 500,000) five hundred thousand dirhams."

Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Countering Rumors and Cybercrimes was issued on 20 September 2021 and took effect on 2 January 2022, replacing the 2012 cybercrimes law. The portal notes that the Arabic text prevails over the English translation.

The article has three working parts:

• Who: anyone who "creates, manages or supervises a website", or anyone who "uses information network". The second limb needs no website at all; a messaging group or a personal account will do.
• What: to "broadcast, transmit, disseminate, re-disseminate, or promote" gambling. Reposting someone else's promotion is named explicitly ("re-disseminate").
• The exception: "in the cases other than the authorized". Promoting authorised gambling is not caught.

For the wider picture of what online gambling is permitted, see our explainer on whether online gambling is legal in the UAE right now.

Who does Article 38 apply to?

The verbs reach well beyond the company running a casino. On the text, these all fall within its scope when the gambling is unauthorised:

Who — Why Article 38 can apply

• Offshore casino or sportsbook running a UAE-facing site — Creates and manages a website promoting gambling
• Site administrators and moderators — "Manages or supervises" a website
• Affiliates and comparison sites — Promote gambling through a website or network
• Influencers and streamers sharing sign-up codes — Use an information network to "promote"; personal accounts count as websites
• Telegram and WhatsApp tipster channels — Use an information network to "disseminate" or "promote"
• People reposting promotions — "Re-disseminate" is a listed act

The definition matters here. Article 1 defines "website" as a virtual space that lets users share content and states: "This includes social media websites, networks and platforms, personal pages and accounts, weblogs, e-services and etc."

Whether any particular post counts as "promoting" is a question for prosecutors and courts. We are setting out what the text covers, not predicting cases.

What does "in the cases other than the authorized" mean?

The decree-law does not define it. The obvious reading, and ours, is that gambling authorised under UAE law can be promoted, and everything else cannot.

Since 2023, authorisation in commercial gaming comes from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). Its register lists The Game LLC (the UAE Lottery), Island 3 AMI FZ-LLC (Wynn Al Marjan, not yet open) and Coin Technology Projects LLC (internet gaming and sports wagering). The GCGRA says that "engaging in, conducting or facilitating commercial gaming activities in the UAE without a valid license is illegal and will result in legal action."

Authorised does not mean unrestricted. Licensees advertise under the GCGRA's Advertising Standards, which tell operators not to use Arabic in their ads until the GCGRA directs otherwise and make operators answer for their affiliates, as our UAE gaming advertising rules explainer details. Google applies the same filter to paid search, accepting UAE gambling ads only from GCGRA-licensed advertisers, as covered in our report on Google's licensed-only policy.

What is the penalty under Article 38?

The base penalty is imprisonment and/or a fine of Dh250,000 to Dh500,000. The "and/ or" wording gives the court three options: prison alone, a fine alone, or both. The article sets no maximum prison term of its own.

Other articles in the same decree-law add to it:

• Forfeiture (Article 56): on conviction, "the devices, programs, or means used in committing any of the crimes … or the funds obtained from it shall be forfeited", without prejudice to bona fide third parties.
• Site closure and blocking (Article 59): the court may close the site "completely or partially", block it for a set period, place the offender under electronic monitoring or bar them from using information networks.
• Companies (Article 58): the person who actually manages a company faces the same penalties if they knew of the violation and their failure in their management duties contributed to it, and the company is jointly liable for fines when an employee acted in its name.
• Offences abroad (Article 69): the law reaches crimes committed outside the UAE in listed cases, including where the crime "was prepared, planned, directed, supervised or financed inside the UAE", where it harms UAE residents, or where the offender is later found in the UAE.
• No settlement route: Article 67 lists the offences eligible for amicable settlement. Article 38 is not on that list.
• Heavier laws prevail (Article 72): the decree-law does not prejudice "any more severe punishment" in the Penal Code or another law.

The 2012 law that Article 38 replaced already carried a Dh250,000 to Dh500,000 fine range for gambling, according to a 2017 analysis by law firm Al Tamimi & Company, so the band is not new.

Does Article 38 apply to people who gamble online?

Not on its wording. Article 38 is about creating, managing or using networks to spread or promote gambling. Placing a bet is gambling itself, and that is covered by the Penal Code.

Article 461 of Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 says: "Whoever gambles shall be punished with incarceration for a period not exceeding (2) two years or a fine not exceeding (50,000) fifty thousand AED." The GCGRA adds that "persons who play unlicensed games" will be subject to penalties. Sharing referral links, running a tips channel or reposting promotions is a different act from placing a bet, and it is the kind of conduct Article 38 describes, whoever does it. Our article-by-article guide to Penal Code Articles 460 to 463 covers the player and organiser provisions.

Which other cybercrime articles touch gambling sites?

Neighbouring provisions describe conduct often found around unlicensed gambling:

Article — What it covers — Penalty as written

• 10 — Circumventing an IP address "with the intent to commit a crime or to prevent its detection" — Temporary imprisonment and a fine of Dh500,000 to Dh2 million, "or by either of these two sanctions"
• 17 — Managing, creating or using a website or account to commit or facilitate a crime — Imprisonment of at least one year and/or a fine of Dh300,000 to Dh500,000
• 40 — Internet fraud, including false impersonation online — Imprisonment of at least one year and/or a fine of Dh250,000 to Dh1 million
• 48 — Misleading online advertising; promoting virtual currencies not officially recognised in the UAE or without a licence — Imprisonment and/or a fine of Dh20,000 to Dh500,000

Article 10 is the VPN provision, covered in our VPN and online casinos explainer. Article 48's second limb, on promoting unrecognised or unlicensed virtual currencies, matters for crypto gambling, covered in our crypto casino guide. Article 40 is the one that bites fake "lottery winner" schemes, such as those described in our report on the "Emirates Lottery" name.

How do I report an unlicensed gambling website?

The GCGRA register page says: "To report an unlicensed operator or individual conducting commercial gaming activities in the UAE, please use the Complaints Form", linked from the same page. The regulator's December 2024 warning also told "advertisers, payment processors, and other service providers" that supporting unlicensed operators risks "sanctions and potential consequences affecting their ability to operate in the UAE."

FAQ

Is it illegal to promote betting sites on social media in the UAE? Promoting unauthorised gambling is, under Article 38 of the Cybercrimes Decree-Law, and personal accounts count as websites under its definitions. The penalty is imprisonment and/or a fine of Dh250,000 to Dh500,000.

What is the fine for running a gambling website in the UAE? Article 38 sets a fine of Dh250,000 to Dh500,000, with or without imprisonment. On conviction, Article 56 requires forfeiture of the devices used and the proceeds, and Article 59 lets the court close or block the site.

Does Article 38 punish players? No. Its verbs cover creating, managing or supervising a site and broadcasting or promoting gambling, not placing bets. Gambling itself falls under Article 461 of the Penal Code: up to two years' incarceration or a fine of up to Dh50,000.

Can licensed operators like the UAE Lottery advertise online? Yes, within the GCGRA Advertising Standards. Article 38 excludes authorised cases.

Does Article 38 apply to sites based outside the UAE? Article 69 extends the decree-law to crimes committed abroad in listed cases, including where they harm UAE residents or the offender is later found in the UAE.

This article explains the law as published; it is not legal advice. For a specific situation, speak to a UAE-qualified lawyer.

Further reading

• UAE gaming advertising rules explained
• UAE Penal Code gambling articles 460 to 463
• Using a VPN for online casinos in the UAE: what the law says
• Google's licensed-only policy for UAE gambling ads
• Illegal gaming risks in the UAE

Sources

• UAE Legislation, Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Countering Rumors and Cybercrimes, Arts 1, 10, 17, 38, 40, 48, 56, 58, 59, 67, 69, 72, 73: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1526
• UAE Legislation, Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law, Art. 461: https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1529
• GCGRA, "Our Licensees" (accessed 4 November 2026): https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/en/licensing/our-licensees/
• GCGRA, "Activities We Regulate" (accessed 4 November 2026): https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/en/commercial-gaming/activities-we-regulate/
• GCGRA, "Risks of Engaging in Illegal Gaming Activities" (accessed 4 November 2026): https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/en/legislation-compliance/compliance/risks-of-engaging-in-illegal-gaming-activities/
• GCGRA, "GCGRA Issues Warning Against Unlicensed Lottery and Gaming Operators" (9 December 2024): https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/en/news/press-releases/december-2024-press-release-gcgra-issues-warning-against-unlicensed-lottery-and-gaming-operators/
• GCGRA, "Advertising Standards for Commercial Gaming", Version 1.0 (27 February 2024): https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/media/e1rncnez/gcgra-advertising-standards_26062024-aa-amendments-003.pdf
• Al Tamimi & Company, "Fantasy Sports in the UAE: Legal or a Red Card" (May 2017): https://www.tamimi.com/law-update-articles/fantasy-sports-in-the-uae-legal-or-a-red-card/