SlotOnline gambling in Lebanon is legal only through the state monopoly. Since 2022 the Lebanese Ministry of Finance has licensed BetArabia, the digital arm of the government-controlled Casino du Liban, as the exclusive online operator. No other operator holds a Lebanese licence; offshore international sites sit in a grey zone that the country blocks at ISP level but does not prosecute individual users for; and cryptocurrency is unregulated and not offered by any licensed operator. Players face no separate personal tax on winnings, but should treat crypto and offshore play as unprotected.
Is online betting legal in Lebanon?
Lebanon runs a strict monopoly model. Land-based gambling has been the exclusive right of Casino du Liban since its 1957 concession (the venue opened to the public in 1959). In 2022 the Ministry of Finance extended that monopoly online by granting BetArabia, Casino du Liban’s online brand, an exclusive licence to offer online sports betting and iGaming. This makes Lebanon unusual in the MENA region for having a formally licensed domestic online operator.
Everything outside that single licence is unlicensed. International offshore casinos and bookmakers are not authorised, and the national ISP (Ogero) blocks many gambling domains to protect the monopoly, though enforcement is inconsistent and VPN use is common. Crucially, there are no known prosecutions of individual Lebanese players for using offshore sites, so the practical risk falls on losing legal recourse and consumer protection rather than criminal penalty.
Regulator and licensing
The Ministry of Finance is the authority that issued BetArabia’s licence, working alongside the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, which oversees the land-based sector. The national lottery is a separate state channel run by La Libanaise des Jeux (LLDJ). There is no open, competitive licensing regime: the state does not license foreign online operators, and the monopoly structure is deliberate.
Licensed vs offshore
| Route | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BetArabia | Licensed (2022) | Only legal online sports betting & casino operator; the online arm of Casino du Liban |
| Casino du Liban (land-based) | Licensed monopoly | Physical casino in Maameltein/Jounieh |
| La Libanaise des Jeux (lottery) | State-operated | National Loto and scratch games |
| International offshore sites | Unlicensed | ISP-blocked, no local protection; users not known to be prosecuted |
Payments and crypto status
Licensed play uses conventional local payment methods. Lebanon’s banking crisis has pushed many residents toward cash and stablecoins, but cryptocurrency is unregulated: Banque du Liban issued a warning against virtual currencies in 2013, and the Capital Markets Authority prohibited licensed financial institutions from issuing, marketing or trading them in 2018. Individual ownership and peer-to-peer/OTC trading (heavily in USDT) are not explicitly illegal and are widely used as a hedge against the collapsed lira, but no licensed gambling operator offers regulated crypto deposits, and crypto gambling carries zero consumer protection.
Taxes on winnings
For players, the position is simple: there is no dedicated personal income tax charged on individual gambling winnings. Revenue is captured at the operator/state level. Casino du Liban pays a large, graduated share of its gross gaming profits to the government under its concession; exact current percentages are not clearly published, so treat any specific figure with caution. If your circumstances are unusual or you are a professional, take local tax advice.
Safer gambling and help
Lebanon has no dedicated national gambling-addiction helpline. If gambling is causing harm, contact Embrace Lebanon’s Lifeline on 1564 for emotional support and crisis intervention, and use operator self-exclusion tools. Gambling should be entertainment, never a way to solve financial pressure.
18+ only. Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly.