Morocco Casinos
Online casinos in Morocco are not permitted. There is no licence for private online casinos, and the only legal online gambling is sports betting run by the state operator Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports (MDJS).
Gambling in Morocco is built around state monopolies. MDJS holds sports betting, including online and virtual betting, the Loterie Nationale runs games like Loto and Keno, and SOREC runs betting on horse racing. Land-based casinos operate legally under their own framework, but none of that covers online casino games, and running unauthorised gaming is a criminal offence.
Are online casinos legal in Morocco?
No. Morocco has no licence for online casinos, and online casino games are not allowed. Gambling is organised as state monopolies: MDJS runs sports betting, including online betting, the Loterie Nationale runs the lottery and SOREC runs horse race betting. Unauthorised gaming is a criminal offence under articles 282 to 285 of the penal code. Land-based casinos operate legally, but that does not extend to online play.
Understanding online casinos in Morocco
The legal status of online casinos in Morocco
Morocco never created an online casino licence. Online gaming exists only for betting, through MDJS, which is 90 percent held by the Treasury and has run sports betting since 1962. Its exclusivity reportedly runs to 2036 under a 2016 agreement with the state. Articles 282 to 285 of the penal code make unauthorised gaming houses and lotteries criminal offences. That means a foreign casino site has no standing in Morocco, whatever licence it shows on its homepage.
The 2026 blocking case
The fight over illegal betting reached the courts this year. On 12 January 2026 the commercial court in Casablanca, ruling in summary proceedings brought by MDJS, ordered Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc and Inwi to block 19 named betting sites and local payment intermediaries, with a penalty of MAD 10,000 (about EUR 900) for every day of delay. The commercial court of appeal stayed the order on 26 January, and in February the Moroccan business press reported that it had been annulled, with MDJS still able to appeal.
None of that made the sites legal. The case was about whether internet providers can be forced to do the blocking, not about whether foreign operators may take bets. MDJS told parliament that illegal sports betting stakes reached about MAD 3.5 billion (about EUR 320 million) in 2024, so expect the issue to come back.
Tax on winnings from foreign sites
The 2025 Finance Law added a new income tax category for winnings from foreign gambling made over the internet. Banks and anyone else involved in paying out those winnings must withhold tax at a flat 30 percent rate, according to the tax administration’s summary published through the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It is a tax rule, not a licence. Being taxed on winnings from a foreign site does not make playing there legal.
Responsible gambling
If you gamble at the legal options in Morocco, keep it to money you can afford to lose and treat it as entertainment rather than income. Set a budget before you start, take breaks and never chase losses. Gambling is not for anyone under age. If it stops feeling like fun, step back and talk to someone you trust, and read our responsible gambling guide for the warning signs and where to find support.
Are online casinos legal in Morocco?
No. Morocco has no licence for online casinos, and online casino games are not allowed. The only legal online gambling is sports betting run by the state operator MDJS. Unauthorised gaming is a criminal offence under articles 282 to 285 of the penal code.
Is there a tax on online gambling winnings in Morocco?
Yes. Since the 2025 Finance Law, winnings from foreign gambling made over the internet count as taxable income, with a flat 30 percent withholding taken by banks or anyone else who pays them out. The tax does not make playing at foreign sites legal.
Are land-based casinos legal in Morocco?
Yes. Casinos operate legally in Morocco within a recognised framework and have attracted international investment. The Spanish group Cirsa, for example, runs four Moroccan casinos and has expanded in Marrakech. That legal status covers the physical venues only, not online casino games.
What gambling is legal in Morocco?
Land-based casinos, plus the state monopolies: sports betting through MDJS, including its online and virtual betting, lottery games through the Loterie Nationale, and horse race betting through SOREC. Private online casinos and foreign betting sites are not authorised.
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