Online gambling regulation in Israel

Israel Sports Betting Board (ISBB) for sports betting; Ministry of Finance oversight for National Lottery (Mifal HaPais). State monopoly model. Checked 2026-09-21.

Advertising unlicensed gambling banned: Yes
Public licence register: No
Online casino: Prohibited
Online sports betting: Monopoly

Casino, sports betting, poker and more

Israel broadly prohibits gambling. Sports betting is the main state-run exception via the ISBB 'Winner' brand; the National Lottery is another exception. Casino-style games and poker are generally prohibited, with poker treated as a prohibited game.

Product	Status	What that means
Online casino	Prohibited	—
Online sports betting	Monopoly	—
Online poker	Prohibited	Prohibited; courts classify poker as a 'prohibited game' under the Penal Law, and online gambling is generally illegal.
Sweepstakes and social casinos	Not confirmed	Unclear; the sources only mention a limited 'social gaming' exception and do not confirm sweepstakes/social-casino legality.
Prediction markets	Not confirmed	Unclear; no Israel-specific source here on real-money event/prediction markets or any financial-derivatives treatment.
Mystery boxes	Unregulated	No specific Israeli ruling on paid mystery boxes/loot boxes found; under the Penal Law 1977 and online-gambling ban, they are best treated as unregulated unless they award cash or betting-like value.

Advertising unlicensed gambling in Israel

Prohibited. General gambling offences in Penal Law 5737-1977 (Chapter 12) interpreted to cover offering and promoting illegal online gambling.

Promotion and facilitation of illegal gambling are treated as criminal assistance to prohibited gambling under Penal Law’s blanket ban.

Regulator and law

Israel Sports Betting Board (ISBB) for sports betting; Ministry of Finance oversight for National Lottery (Mifal HaPais) — www.winner.co.il

Israeli Penal Law 5737-1977, Chapter 12, plus Sports Betting Regulation Law 5727-1967 and Internet Site Offender Prevention Act 2017.

Online casino: Prohibited. Online sports betting: Monopoly.

Checking a licence

There is no public register of licensed operators. No general online public register of licensed gambling operators; only ISBB and Mifal HaPais are legally permitted.

How the black market is fought

Criminal prosecution under Penal Law 5737-1977 for operating or assisting illegal gambling
ISP and domain blocking under the Internet Site Offender Prevention Act 2017
Seizure of equipment and closure of illegal gambling premises by police and courts
Administrative and criminal fines for illegal gambling operations and promotion

Advertising rules for licensed operators

Advertising must clearly identify ISBB or Mifal HaPais as the authorised state operator
Advertising may not promote casino-style games, poker, or non-authorised betting products
Marketing must avoid encouraging excessive or underage participation, reflecting strong social-welfare orientation
Licensed offerings cannot be advertised as risk-free investment or financial product substitutes

Recent developments

Continued confirmation in 2025–2026 commentary that only ISBB online betting is legal; all other online gambling remains banned
Ongoing use and discussion of 2017 Internet Site Offender Prevention Act powers to block unlicensed sites
International reviews in 2025–2026 emphasise Israel’s closed, state-monopoly model and strong enforcement against online black market

Questions

Is it illegal to advertise unlicensed gambling in Israel?

Yes. General gambling offences in Penal Law 5737-1977 (Chapter 12) interpreted to cover offering and promoting illegal online gambling. Promotion and facilitation of illegal gambling are treated as criminal assistance to prohibited gambling under Penal Law’s blanket ban.

Who regulates online gambling in Israel?

Israel Sports Betting Board (ISBB) for sports betting; Ministry of Finance oversight for National Lottery (Mifal HaPais). The main law is Israeli Penal Law 5737-1977, Chapter 12, plus Sports Betting Regulation Law 5727-1967 and Internet Site Offender Prevention Act 2017..

How can I check whether a gambling operator is licensed in Israel?

No general online public register of licensed gambling operators; only ISBB and Mifal HaPais are legally permitted.

What we could not confirm

Exact section numbers in Penal Law criminalising advertising or promotion of illegal gambling are not clearly specified in accessible English sources
Whether a separate, formal advertising code specific to ISBB online channels exists beyond general consumer and media laws is unclear
Existence of any comprehensive, searchable licence register webpage for ISBB or Mifal HaPais not confirmed in public sources
Whether sweepstakes/social casinos are treated as 'social gaming' or prohibited gambling
Whether paid mystery boxes/loot boxes are regulated as gambling, consumer products, or not addressed
Whether prediction markets are permitted as financial derivatives rather than gambling

Sources

Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.