Gambling & Illegal Betting

Gambling and illegal betting in Lebanon are increasingly spreading among youth, fueled by economic hardship, easy access, and weak regulation despite strict gambling laws.

Gambling

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Betting

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Addiction

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Crisis

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Risk

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Gambling ✳︎ Betting ✳︎ Addiction ✳︎ Crisis ✳︎ Risk ✳︎

Why this matters for awareness:

  • Many youth might not realize that most forms of gambling — especially outside Casino du Liban — are either illegal or unregulated. 

  • There’s a real risk of legal consequences, but also a high financial and social risk: gambling addiction, debt, and criminal exposure. 

  • The presence of an exclusive licensed operator (BetArabia) complicates things: some gambling is “legal,” but much more is not, and black-market outlets remain widespread. 

Casino du Liban holds a state-protected monopoly on gambling in Lebanon.
iGaming Today+1 

According to iGamingToday, there’s no detailed, modern law that explicitly bans all online gambling, but many foreign gambling sites are blocked by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to protect local gambling revenue. iGaming Today 

There have been serious legal investigations: for example, in 2025, the CEO of Casino du Liban was detained during a probe into illegal online gambling, raising issues of corruption and mismanagement. L'Orient Today+1 

Recently (2025), BetArabia — which is connected to Casino du Liban — was granted an exclusive license by the Lebanese Ministry of Finance for online sports betting and casino games.
SigmaPlay 

According to media reports, many young people (even teenagers) gamble in cafes using prepaid cards: these illegal betting cafés are very accessible, and in some raids, huge sums of money were found.
Arab News+1 

Despite this official license, there is still a large black market for illegal gambling. Public Gaming Research Institute reports that unlicensed gambling centers exist and cost the government millions in lost revenue. Public Gaming 

The socioeconomic crisis in Lebanon is a big factor: some youths are drawn to gambling in hope of making money quickly given the economic difficulties.
Arab News