Tunisia has always had a restrictive approach when it comes to gambling, just like it is the case with other Muslim countries. However, land-based gambling in Tunisia is allowed for tourists, as Tunisia is a place that is regularly visited by people from all over the world, and casinos make up one of the tourist attractions.
So, gambling is legal only in land-based casinos, and only foreign players can access them. Tunisian citizens are not allowed to play at these casinos. Currently, there are 3 active casinos in the country, there were more a few years ago, but over time they closed.
One of the active casinos is called Pasino Djerba, and it was opened in 1998. This casino belongs to Groupe Partouche, which is a French casino, hotel, restaurant, and spa present in many countries in Europe.
As much as 98% of people in Tunisia are Muslims, so according to their Islamic notions, they are not allowed to play at casinos, and the approach from the Government towards gambling is different to European countries. The government in Tunisia stands by its belief that gambling is not a morally accepted activity.
As for online gambling, it is illegal as the government does not issue any licenses to online operators, but there are foreign online casinos offering their services, and players gladly accept them. These sites are not blocked by the government, and players are not prosecuted for playing in them, so any player from Tunisia looking for an online casino can rest assured that it is completely safe as long as they choose a reliable gambling site.
Gambling nowadays in Tunisia
Land-based gambling is only reserved for foreign citizens. Upon entering any casino the person is required to show a passport or any kind of ID that shows he is not a citizen of Tunisia. According to the Islamic notions, no Muslim citizen is allowed to gamble, as it is not considered to be an activity that can be accepted in any way.
However, online gambling remains sort of a grey zone, with foreign online casinos facing no restrictions in offering their services to Tunisian citizens.
Players from the country seem to enjoy gambling online, as the government does not stop these sites from entering the market, and they don’t chase individual players for accessing these sites.