kb-gaming-gambling-mena
Installation
SKILL.md
Knowledge Pack — Gaming and Gambling Law in MENA
Scope
The legal treatment of gaming and gambling in MENA reflects the region's predominantly Islamic legal framework, which categorizes conventional gambling as haram (forbidden) under the concept of maisir (games of chance, speculation, or wager). This produces a distinctive legal landscape:
- Near-total prohibition on conventional gambling in KSA, UAE onshore, Egypt (broadly), and Lebanon (historically restricted but partially licensed).
- Free-zone nuance: DIFC and ADGM operate under common-law frameworks but do not license gambling operations.
- Video gaming / e-sports: treated differently — commercially active and government-supported in KSA and UAE.
- Online gambling / loot boxes / in-game currency: grey zones requiring careful navigation.