GAMING IN MOROCCO

GAMING IN MOROCCO

ABOUT MOROCCO

Morocco is located in the northwest corner of Africa and is bordered by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea ,Algeria and Western Sahara are the land borders to the south and east. Morocco is about the same size as California.

The high Atlas Mountains seperate the mild coastline from the harsh Sahara.Rainfall is unpredictable and its not enough to supply all the water needed for the people.

Moroccans are Berber and Arab and most of the people are muslim.The Berber have been in North Africa for centuries and many of the Berber people live in the mountains and still speak the Berber language, but today they are moving to cities to find work.

REGULATORY OF GAMING IN MOROCCO

History of casinos in Morocco dates back to when it was still under the French control. Than in 1952 first casino – Casino de Marrakech – located in the Es Saadi Hotel Marrakech was opened. Morocco regained its independence in March 1956 and since then other casinos started to appear, since the decree of the Prime Minister from 2002 they have been operating legally.

Legal regulation of gambling in Morocco took place with the signing of the decree of the Prime Minister on July 29, 2002. Since then casinos can operate legally on the basis of licenses issued by the Prime Minister. Although more than 90% of the population in Morocco are Islamists, according to the law, gambling is legal here. However, not everyone is happy with it. In 2012 the Moroccan Minister of Telecommunication, Mustafa al-Khalfim objected to broadcast live gambling, and called for a ban on it, but so far no steps were taken in such direction.

In Morocco there are several legal casinos located in 4 cities in the country. They function independently or belong to the hotel complexes. Casinos are open throughout the week from afternoon or evening hours to morning. During weekends casinos are opened longer, and some of them even around the clock. In the offer of casinos there are different varieties of roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, punto banco and slot machines.
Cities in which land based casinos are found:

  • Agadir
  • Casablanca
  • Marrakesz
  • Tanger

LEGAL REGULATIONS ON ONLINE GAMBLING IN MOROCCO

Morocco doesn’t have laws regulating gambling online yet. Therefore, the government does not allow casinos to operate and does not give out licenses. Currently, the only legal form of gambling in Morocco are sports lotteries available on two sites, which have been operating under the supervision of Moroccan government since 2009.

In 2012, the Moroccan Minister of Telecommunications Mustafa al-Khalfi criticised the popularity of TV programs with live gambling and called for a ban on broadcasting gambling programs on public television, but so far no steps have been taken in that direction.