The war on illegal gambling activities in Iran has just become even more serious thanks to a recent clarification by the country’s attorney general. This marks the beginning of an extensive crackdown that is expected to rid the country of gaming activities that have been cropping up all across the country.
According to the AG, there are no loopholes in Iran’s gambling laws. He recently released a public notice informing the country’s residents that no form of gambling is allowed by the Islamic government. Apparently, this clarification was necessary due to the recent rise in the number of people organizing gambling operations. These people stated that there was a loophole in the country’s gaming law and this allowed them to run ‘prediction sites’ which offered cash prizes to people who were able to predict the outcome of sporting events.
That said, online gambling in Iran is still just as illegal as any form of land-based gambling. In essence, this implies that creating an online gambling platform is somehow equivalent to establishing a retail gambling facility. People who attempt to venture into such business will, therefore, be liable to answer for promoting illegal or prohibited activities.
Even the customers themselves will feel the pinch when it comes to participating in these gaming activities. Residents have been cautioned against participating in any form or gambling on any medium. The Attorney General also warned that anyone who uses their credit or debit card to gamble online may be exposed to some extra “facilitating fees.”
Over 60 Illegal Sites Blocked
Over the past two months, the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran has reportedly disrupted a total of 61 online gambling sites. These were being operated by nine groups that at the time they were disrupted had been handling wagers worth up to IRR3t which is equivalent to US$95.5 million.
According to Chief Vahid Majid, the public have much less to worry about in this regard since the authorities have managed to catch up with many of the people who were involved in the illegal gambling operations. The illegal gambling websites have since been shut down and more are set to be brought down.
Iran’s stance with regards to online gambling is one of the strictest ones on the planet and this because of Islam, the dominant religion in the country. Even religious authorities have weighed in on the issue. They even recently began cracking down on game shows on television which apparently resembled gambling in one way or the other.
