Libya – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
Libya is a state in North Africa. Its northern border is the Mediterranean, while it borders Egypt and Sudan in the east, Niger and Chad in the south, and the Maghreb states of Tunisia and Algeria in the west. Gambling is a controversial topic in the country because the majority religion is Islam. This is because, according to the Quran, all forms of gambling are a grave sin that should be punished. It is even called the abomination of Satan's handiwork. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that games of chance and online casinos are not widely available in the country. Libyans are very religious in general and abide by these rules with almost no exceptions. However, there is still a small community still playing the regional game of “Maisir”, which is a game of chance forbidden in the religious practice of many Muslims. Since there are not a lot of alternatives available in the country itself, some people secretly started to play in online casinos that are located abroad. Here, then, we’ll find out more about this area and much more…
Find the Best Arabic Casino Online
Since gambling is heavily discouraged in the Islamic culture, it doesn’t come as a surprise that there are no online casinos situated in Libya. If somebody wants to gamble over the internet from the country, the only option is to play at an online casino that is based abroad. However, this is not as easy as it seems. In order to contain online gambling in Libya, the government has IP-blocked many casino sites. Yet it next to impossible to prevent all traffic to this type of website as new online casinos are popping up almost every day. Furthermore, players can circumvent the block by using a so-called VPN connection – relatively easy to use nowadays.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not all online casino sites accept players from Libya, as this would be against the terms of their gambling license. Therefore, before you consider signing up at any online casinos from within Libya, you should think about the following points first:
- Check the jurisdiction of the online casino
- Does the casino accept players from Libya?
- Do you have access to the accepted payment methods?
- Is the casino properly licensed to ensure fair gaming?
- Use a VPN connection to access the casino
- Be aware of the legal situation and the risk involved
We also highly recommend having a look at the GoodLuckMate top list where you can find several online casinos that are recommended for Arabic and Libyan players alike.
Gambling Regulation in Libya
Players from Libya should be aware that any form of gambling has been outlawed by the government and there might be substantial consequences if someone does not abide by the law. A violation can be punished with a fine and even prison sentences of up to one month. However, it’s rather uncommon for Libyan online casino players to be punished, as it is extremely difficult for law enforcement to find out about such activities in the first place.
At this point and for the foreseeable future, there is no local gambling or online gambling authority in Libya. This is important to keep in mind if you are planning to play at an online casino that is registered and licensed abroad, as it might affect your consumer rights. Obviously, there is no minimum age for gambling in Libya either as it is strictly prohibited in totality. It is important to know that most foreign online casinos won’t accept players under the age of 18.
Localized Online Casinos
Since Arabic countries are not open to gambling in any way, shape, or form, there are no online casinos catering directly to this market. For this reason, you won’t be able to find any localized offers for Libya. Nevertheless, some casinos are open for players from this country, but they are not directly marketing their products there for obvious reasons. But this doesn’t mean that you are unable to benefit from the regular promotions that are available. Many casino sites provide new players with a lucrative welcome bonus that can be claimed on your first deposit. Even some free spins are included in some cases. We recommend checking out the bonus terms before signing up, as some of the promotions are not valid in every region.
Gambling with Libyan Dinar
If you would like to play online for Libyan dinar, you are out of luck. At the time of writing, there are no online casinos offering games in this currency that we are aware of. This doesn’t mean that you are unable to deposit in your local currency. Many payment methods, such as eWallets and credit cards, can simply convert your Libyan dinar to one of the currencies support by the online casino. Keep in mind that in most cases you will have to pay a small currency conversion fee. Common currencies for international players in online casinos are euros or the US dollar.
Casinos in Libya
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of options available in Libya since the law strictly prohibits any gambling activities in the country, as previously mentioned. As a result, there are no official land-based casinos to be found anywhere. It is the same case for online casinos, of course. There are some reports about illegal gambling rings that are operating across Libya but there is not a lot of information available about this topic because it’s understandably a very well-kept secret within the country. Most online casinos that can be accessed from Libya are situated in Malta, Gibraltar, Kahnawake, or Curaçao. Some of them are, less commonly, based in Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize. There are also a few unregulated casinos out there, but it is not advised to play there as the quality and fairness of the service is often dubious at best.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
