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In vast swaths of the world, a friendly game of poker is still considered a criminal offense. Gambling is legalized, taxed, and incorporated into tourism strategies in most countries in Europe, North America, and increasingly in Asia. But in approximately 70 jurisdictions worldwide, it remains completely banned, in some cases with penalties so severe that losing is the least of your worries.

The reasons are far more varied than many expect. Some bans stem from religious doctrine, others from political control, and still others from direct economic interests, where governments prefer to run their own lottery monopoly rather than allow private operators to take their cut. Several bans stem from something new: growing concerns that foreigner-only casino zones have become fronts for organized fraudulent and illegal operations, changing the approach to law enforcement in parts of Southeast Asia, even as the underlying gambling ban remains unchanged.

Here are ten countries where gambling remains truly and seriously illegal in 2026, and what actually happens if you get caught.

1. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has some of the toughest bans on gambling. It is based not only on the laws of the state but also directly on Islamic Sharia law, where gambling (maysir) is considered haram or a religiously banned activity. The Islamic legal concept of maysir is also seen as equivalent to the consumption of alcohol or the earning of a profit through interest ( riba, usury) since it involves earned income and profit, not from labor or trade but from chance or luck that creates no actual value. 

Indeed, in practice it means an almost complete ban on all gambling, with no licensed casinos, bookmaker companies, slot machines, or national lotteries operating. However, betting on football matches, horse racing, eSports and any other form of sporting betting is permitted. The ban also applies to foreign tourists, expats, employees of international companies, and diplomats: there is no separate “tourism” regime in Saudi Arabia, as there is in some Asian countries.

The authorities are paying particular attention to the digital sector. Access to foreign casinos, bookmaker websites, and gambling apps is restricted through the national internet filtering system. Blocks can affect not only websites, but also mobile apps, advertising pages, payment gateways, Telegram channels, and other tools used to attract players.

Using a VPN does not make participation in such services legal: the technical ability to access the platform does not eliminate the legal risks for the user. Liability applies not only to the organizers of underground schemes but also to intermediaries. Depending on the nature of the violation, fines, confiscation of funds and devices, account blocking, and, in serious cases, lengthy prison terms are possible. If the activity is related to fraud, money laundering, illegal payments, or cross-border networks, the consequences can be even more severe.

It is significant that this approach persists even in the context of the “Vision 2030” program. Saudi Arabia is actively expanding its entertainment sector: hosting concerts by world-renowned artists, developing festivals, opening theme parks, hosting international sports tournaments, and investing in tourism megaprojects. However, this liberalization has clear limits. The state is prepared to develop sports, culture, tourism, and luxury leisure, but gambling remains a fundamentally excluded area for both religious and socio-political reasons.

2. Qatar

In Qatar, gambling is also prohibited under Sharia law and national criminal law. The country also lacks licensed casinos and state-run lotteries. As in Saudi Arabia, there are no exceptions for tourists or foreign residents. Control of digital infrastructure is particularly important: regulators and internet service providers can restrict access to gambling domains and, for financial institutions, block or reject related payments.

After the 2022 World Cup, when the country attracted a large influx of foreign fans, Qatar maintained this policy: the development of tourism and the sports industry was not accompanied by the legalization of betting.

The risks for operators and intermediaries are significantly higher than for individual users. Liability may apply to platform owners, advertising partners, channel administrators, deposit takers, and participants in cryptocurrency exchange schemes or betting withdrawals. Crypto doesn’t offer a legally safe haven: an offshore service may claim anonymity, but transactions, the use of local payment instruments, and promotion to Qatari users can still attract the attention of authorities.

In-person participation usually carries lower risks, but repeated incidents, large sums, sharing links, or involving others may be classified not as individual violations, but as organizing or facilitating illegal gambling activities, punishable by hefty prison sentences.

3. Kuwait

Kuwait prohibits gambling and shows no signs of shifting to the “casino tourism” model that the UAE has been discussing and developing in recent years. There is no legal infrastructure for betting, casinos, or online gambling, and the ban applies to citizens, expats, and visitors.

Kuwait is particularly interesting in its approach to money: law enforcement focuses not only on websites but also on financial routes: international transfers, bank cards, e-wallets, and even cryptocurrency. In 2025, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior reported the arrest of a group suspected of running an online casino and laundering its proceeds through the accounts of a clinic and commercial companies, followed by transferring the money abroad.

This is precisely why “crypto” is not a defense here. For the Kuwait police, playing cash at a closed poker club and depositing crypto at an offshore casino may be two technically different ways of committing the same offense.

4. Brunei

Brunei, a small but oil-rich sultanate, views gambling primarily as a moral and religious offense. The ban applies not only to Muslims but also to foreign citizens, and the country has no designated tourist casino zone.

In reality, police more commonly pursue charges against those organizing illegal gambling, but participants can also face penalties. In June 2024, 16 persons were detained by police in connection with illegal gambling; under the Illegal Gambling Establishments Act, organizers can face a penalty of up to 12 months imprisonment or a fine of up to 20,000 Brunei dollars, and participants up to 6 months imprisonment or a fine of up to 10,000 Brunei dollars.

This is an important distinction from countries where playing cards at home may be considered a minor incident. Similar logic applies in Thailand: most forms of gambling are prohibited there, and playing cards for money can lead to police intervention even in private premises.

5. North Korea

I’d add North Korea to the top of the list, as it’s one of the most interesting ways to replenish the state budget. Gambling is prohibited for citizens: the state views it not only as a morally harmful practice but also as an uncontrolled way to accumulate and redistribute money outside the official system. Independent statistics on arrests and convictions are unavailable, so any reports of specific punishments should be taken with caution.

However, there are separate casinos for foreigners in the country. Public sources usually mention the casinos at the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang and the Imperial Hotel & Casino in the Rason Special Economic Zone. They are aimed at foreign tourists and business visitors from China, Russia, and other Asian countries.

In other words, this isn’t liberalization, but a state-run model for extracting foreign currency: locals aren’t allowed to gamble, while foreign guests are allowed, but only in specially controlled locations.

6. Cambodia

Cambodia isn’t generally considered a country with a “complete ban on casinos.” It operates under a more controversial framework: Cambodian citizens are prohibited from gambling, while foreigners can visit “licensed” casinos. This is why casino clusters have sprung up along the border with Thailand, for example, around Poipet, primarily targeting foreign visitors, primarily from China and neighboring Arab countries.

But online gambling is a completely different story. In 2019, the government stopped issuing online gaming licenses, explicitly citing the sector’s use by foreign criminal groups for extortion and other illegal activities. In March 2024, Cambodian authorities raided facilities associated with illegal online operations, detaining hundreds of people and deporting some foreigners.

Cambodia clearly demonstrates why a “foreign casino” doesn’t always equate to a safe tourist destination. In 2025–2026, authorities revoked and suspended the licenses of entities linked to technological fraud, and law enforcement raids targeted hundreds of scam locations bordering Manya.

7. Indonesia

A gambling ban exists in Indonesia, and the authorities have increasingly been clamping down on gambling in recent years, especially online casinos and crypto platforms, as well as forums spread through Telegram or WhatsApp, TikTok, or other social media. As the country is the largest Muslim-majority nation, this ban is based not only on criminal legislation but also on a clear religious and social consensus: gambling is characterized as an illicit and damaging activity, not as a possible tourism sector or digital economy industry.

In April 2026, police in Bali uncovered a network linked to Cambodia: four individuals, including three students, were promoting gambling apps by calling up to 300 – 400 Indonesian numbers daily and accepting deposits through virtual bank accounts. According to the news agency ANTARA, the suspects face up to nine years in prison.

Then this May, Jakarta police detained 321 foreign nationals during a raid on a suspected online gambling network operating across dozens of domains. According to police, 275 of those arrested were suspected of gambling-related charges punishable by up to nine years in prison. They included primarily citizens of Vietnam and China, as well as citizens of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The maximum sentences for all charges combined were up to 15 years.

Therefore, extreme caution should be exercised when gambling in this country.

8. Myanmar

Online gambling is formally banned in Myanmar, and citizens have no legal access to the traditional gambling industry. At the same time, in certain border areas and special zones (as in Cambodia), there are sites that have historically targeted foreign players, primarily from China and Thailand.

However, in recent years, these areas have become known not so much for their casinos as for their criminal infrastructure. Scam compounds (essentially mini-cities) exploit fraudulent investment schemes, romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and illegal online betting; a significant portion of the workers in these centers may have been recruited through human trafficking and coercion. In 2025, UN experts directly reported hundreds of thousands of people being held in Southeast Asia for forced participation in online fraud.

Therefore, Myanmar is an example of how a poorly regulated gambling infrastructure can develop into a much more dangerous criminal ecosystem and become a full-fledged state within a state.

9. China (Mainland)

In mainland China, only state welfare and sports lotteries are legal, while everything else is completely prohibited. Yes, Macau (a former British colony) is located nearby, but it’s a separate territorial exception: casinos are legal there, but this regime doesn’t transfer to the mainland, and there are many nuances.

For example, in January 2025, the Supreme People’s Court of China uncovered several emblematic cases: an organizer who recruited mainland Chinese residents to gamble in Macau and earned over 300 million yuan in revenue was sentenced to six years in prison; other members of the group received sentences ranging from 30 to 36 months.

There is also a risk for foreign gambling operators: if a platform, agent, or VIP manager specifically targets Chinese clients, then the company’s location outside of China does not guarantee the absence of consequences. Many have heard the story of Crown Resorts, when in 2017 a Chinese court sentenced 16 of the company’s employees to up to ten months in prison for their involvement in bringing Chinese high rollers to overseas casinos.

10. Cuba

Cuba ranks last on the list for an entirely different reason from the Gulf states. In this case, the basis for the prohibition of casinos and private gambling (which is not based on religion) is to be found in the 1959 revolution and the general re-organization of the entire country’s economic model. Prior to the rise to power of Fidel Castro, Havana was one of the major gambling hubs of the Western Hemisphere; the capital’s Capri, Riviera, Havana Hilton and (luxurious) Nacional hotels drew American visitors in the thousands, and the casinos were intrinsically linked to foreign investment, corruption and organized crime. During the first few months following the revolution, however, the new regime began to close down casinos and limit lotteries, and they were all but non-existent by 1961.

The symbolic meaning of this decision is crucial. For the revolutionary government, casinos were not simply an entertainment business, but part of the old model of Cuba’s dependence on the United States: an economy in which profits went to foreign owners, and tourism was associated with the mafia, prostitution, and corruption. Therefore, the ban became part of a broader policy of nationalization, the exclusion of foreign capital, and the elimination of private sectors not controlled by the state. The national lottery was also abolished, and revenues from its former infrastructure were redirected to state social programs, including housing construction.

Today, Cuba has no licensed casino, bookmaker, or online gambling market, and a dedicated “foreigners-only” casino model as in Cambodia or North Korea has never emerged. Privately organized betting, casinos, or lotteries remain illegal, including digital formats; the state does not issue the necessary licenses. However, demand has not completely disappeared: the island has historically maintained an underground number lottery called “la bolita,” and some residents attempt to access foreign websites through VPNs and informal payment channels. However, this is not a legal market, but a shadow sector with risks for organizers and intermediaries.

The Cuban case is interesting precisely because of its resilience. Tourism on the island is growing, foreign hotel brands are entering the country, and the authorities periodically implement limited economic reforms, but gambling has never been part of this liberalization. Unlike the UAE, Macau, or even certain border areas of Southeast Asia, Cuba does not use casinos to attract tourists and hard currency. The ban has endured for decades because it is perceived not as a temporary regulatory restriction, but as one of the principles of the post-revolutionary state model.

The Pattern Underneath All Ten

Looking at these ten countries, three overlapping motivations emerge: religious doctrine, which underlies absolute bans in the Persian Gulf and Muslim-majority Southeast Asian countries, and political control in post-revolutionary states such as North Korea and Cuba. However, almost none of these bans have been lifted.

It’s also important to note that the gambling regulatory landscape is changing faster than it might seem. After all, any foreign policy or religious pressure can spread to any other country, and this list could include not just 10, but 20 or more countries.