Simon’s Guide to Online Casinos in Yemen

Online casino gambling, along with practically all other forms of gambling, is illegal in Yemen. Yemen is located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and is bordered by Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea. The vast majority of the Yemeni population, about 99% follow Islam, either Sunni or Shia Islam.

Online casinos are not explicitly mentioned by the laws that regulate gambling in general in the country. However, online casino gambling is still considered banned in accordance with what the Islamic holy book, the Quran prescribes for its followers.

Gambling in all its forms is considered prohibited for the followers of Islam. Professional gambling is not allowed due to the fact that Muslim people are expected to earn money through hard work and not through games that are based on luck. Recreational gambling is also banned, as the Quran considers gambling to be as addictive as alcohol, and having the effect of turning Muslim people away from God.

The Yemeni gambling laws follow the tenets of Islam quite closely, which means online casino gambling is officially prohibited in the country. As a result, there are no online casinos based in Yemen, nor is there a way for any online casinos to operate legally within the country.

International online casinos, on the other hand, fall outside of the Yemeni government’s jurisdiction. Playing in such online casinos presents a valid option for gamblers in Yemen. Although online casino gambling is prohibited in this form as well, there have been no reports of individual gamblers prosecuted for playing in international online casinos.

Most of these casino sites welcome players from Yemen, with some of them offering Arabic language support as well. Still, it bears repeating that participating in online casino gambling from within Yemen is not without risks, and some online casino sites may be unavailable due to the internet censorship.

Similarly to their online counterparts, brick and mortar casinos are also prohibited in Yemen. In the case of the land-based casino establishments, this ban is quite strictly enforced, while online casino gambling can not be as effectively kept out of the reach of Yemeni people looking to gamble.

As a result of the prohibition, there are no legal and licensed casino gambling establishments in the country. Due to the Muslim majority in Yemen, this law is actually supported by the majority of the population, and is highly unlikely to change in the near future.

There are certainly some underground, illegal gambling dens to be found in Yemen, but the authorities watch closely any form of casino gambling, and such operations are promptly shut down. Participating in casino games is thus quite risky in Yemen, and as a result of the long prohibition, also not among the more popular pastimes. For those who still wish to try their hand at roulette, blackjack, or other casino games, the aforementioned online casinos constitute the best option.

As the Yemeni law based on the Quran prohibits all forms of gambling, online gambling is also not allowed in Yemen. This includes online lottery draws and online sportsbooks, as well as games based more on skill than luck, such as online poker.

There are naturally no legal online gambling operators whatsoever to be found in Yemen, nor is there any way for an online gambling operator to obtain a licence in the country. The government has also made efforts to block international online gambling sites, but many of them are still available and welcome players from Yemen. Yet another difficulty for Yemeni people looking to gamble is the relatively low internet penetration: only about 20% of the population has access to the internet, and even then only in a limited form.

Still, for any Yemeni gambler looking to wager on sports events, play poker or participate in lottery draws, international online gambling sites are still a relatively good choice. The only alternatives are either shady, illegal local gambling opportunities, or visiting another country where gambling is legal, but these are also scarce in the region.