Starting a Gambling Business in Tunisia – Full Guide
Some forms of gambling are legal in Tunisia since 1974 (officially the Republic of Tunisia, an Islamic North African country with a population of around 11.7 million, formerly a French colony).
History of Gambling in Tunisia
Some forms of gambling are actually legal in Tunisia.
Most people would erroneously assume that gambling is entirely illegal in Tunisia because it is a Muslim country (98% of the population is an adherent of Islam). And sadly most casino blogs publish false information about the country, claiming that it is indeed the case.
First of all, it is true that the 1957 Tunisian Penal Code, which is based on traditional Shari’ah law, expressly forbids gambling and between 1957 and 1974 gambling was entirely outlawed.
However, in 1974, with the passing of Law-decree no. 74-20 on Betting, Chance, and Lottery Games quite a few types of gambling were legalized, namely:
- casinos (but only for foreigners, locals are still not permitted to participate in any kind of casino gambling)
- horse racing betting (similarly to Pakistan and some other Muslim countries, horse racing betting is not considered gambling according to some interpretations of the Quran, this is very controversial in the Muslim community, rightfully so)
- lottery
- sports betting
Lottery and sports betting are a monopoly of Promosport, the state-owned gambling monopoly, which was established in 1984 with the passing of Law No. 63-D3.
Tunisia actually has a thriving, but small casino sector, despite the high taxes and the attitude of the local population (according to a survey, only 2% of the Tunisian population thinks that gambling is a morally acceptable activity2 even though it has been legal in their country since 1974).
All of the casinos can only be visited by tourists, and expats, with foreign passports, locals are prohibited from playing or entering.
Online gambling is legal in Tunisia.
UPDATE 2022: Online gambling was legalized in Tunisia, according to Italyan gambling provider Sisal, a division of Irish Flutter entertainment and current Tunisian national lottery license holder.
The following forms of digital wagering are known to be legal in Tunisia:
- internet sports betting
- electronic lottery
All of these forms of online gambling are a monopoly of Promosport. The current license holder Sisal will be in a monopoly position because all forms of online gambling are the exclusive domain of Promosport and their license holder (which is Sisal until 2032).
Sisal and Flutter operate many gambling websites (at least 20+) these digital betting platforms can legally accept Tunisian players (you can see some of these online gambling sites below).
Tunisian players can freely play on licensed gambling websites, uniquely for a Muslim-majority country.
Placing bets on unlicensed offshore gambling websites is illegal, and payers could be prosecuted (although this is not likely to happen) therefore we do not recommend it.
Can tourists play online from Tunisia?
Yes, the laws discussed on this webpage only apply to Tunisia citizens, and they do not apply to tourists. Tourists (expats, non-citizens, and illegal migrants) can play online freely.
Tunisia gambling licenses
The Tunisia Ministry of Tourism is responsible for issuing casino licenses. And the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Physical Education is in charge of sports betting and lottery licensing in the country (and Promosport handles lottery retailer sub-licensing and another lottery, betting-related sub-licensing).
However, their websites do not have any information about licensing fees, requirements, and the process, and most of the information on the websites is only available in Arabic.
As a result, we don’t have any information about the Tunisian gambling licensing requirements, fees, or the process.
Gambling age in Tunisia: 18+
Other:
Virtual sports betting and fantasy football are illegal in Tunisia.
Social gambling is illegal in Tunisia.
Loot boxes or similar digital gambling-like activities with virtual goods are entirely unregulated in Tunisia.
Sources, and main pieces of the Tunisian gambling legislation:
2Pew Research Center – Morality Interactive Topline Results
3Law-decree no.74-20 on Betting, Chance, and Lottery Games (can not be found online, if you know of a digital copy pelas leave a link to it in the comments section)
5The World Bank – International tourism, number of arrivals – Tunisia
6TAG legal – Law n° 2015-36 dated 15 September 2015, reorganizing competition and prices
7allAfrica – Tunisia: Agreement to Develop “Promosport” Management System in Tunisia Signed
8Islam Questions & Answers – Ruling on betting on horse races
9Flutter – Sisal wins contract for Tunisia’s gaming market
10Idaraly – نسخة من الرّائد الرّسمي عدد 047 بتاريخ 14/08/1984
11Flutter – Sisal wins contract for Tunisia’s gaming market
Source: Simon’s Guide
