HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
In a pivotal step, the electronic betting file in Morocco entered a new phase after the commercial court in Casablanca settled the controversy and issued an urgent order to close digital access to foreign betting platforms operating within the national territory outside any legal framework.
The judicial decision came after an organized legal move aimed at ending digital chaos that had been attracting thousands of users for years without a license and without respecting the applicable financial and tax regulations. This brought back to the forefront the discussion about the danger of these platforms to the national economy, given the volume of financial transfers that leave the country far from any monitoring. According to the ruling, the three telecommunications operators in Morocco were obliged to implement the complete and immediate blocking of these sites, with the scope of the ban being expanded to include the technical addresses associated with them, to avoid any potential digital circumvention. The decision also held telecommunications companies responsible for strict implementation, with a warning of punitive measures and financial penalties in case of non-compliance. Observers interpret this development as a firm message that the Moroccan digital space is no longer an open field for illegal activities and that the state is determined to impose its legal and financial sovereignty over this sensitive sector. It also reflects the official trend towards securing a more disciplined digital environment that protects the consumer and limits the depletion of financial resources outside legal channels. With this decision, Morocco closes a page of leniency towards unlicensed betting platforms and opens, in return, a new phase titled strict organization and judicial supervision, in a context in which awareness of the dangers of electronic gambling and its economic and social repercussions is increasing.
