Similarly to the software companies, online gambling enthusiasts still have options when it comes to playing games online for real money. Sure, there are heavy restrictions in place and finding a site might be tougher than you think. That is where we come in to lend a hand. While we cannot speak for the risks involved in playing online casino games from Qatar, especially if you are caught, we can at the very least point you in the direction of reputable sites that accept players from that country. We look at aspects of a casino from the payment options (which are going to be limited at best for players from Qatar), the games offered and the customer service provided when we rank our favorite casinos.
Below, you will find a short list of some of the sites that are currently open to Qatar players that we would consider to be reputable enough to recommend to our readers. This list features companies with excellent software, however as they all could be blocked at any time, we want to remind our readers to only deposit and play with an amount of money they are comfortable losing in the case of not being able to access the URL anymore.
Gambling Regulations in Qatar
Many of you have probably heard of the name of this country, but aren’t even sure where to find it on a map. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. The small Islamic country was probably best known as the home of many billionaire sheiks from the oil world. However, in more recent news, the country (which is in the desert, mind you) was awarded the 2022 World Cup. While it is widely assumed that FIFA corruption was the source of this shocking announcement, to this day the country is still planning to host this global event. With a love of sports and the money to back events like the World Cup, you would assume that Qatar has a history of gambling – this could not be further from the truth, at least from a regulated perspective.
Even with the World Cup of Soccer headed to its borders, Islamic rule still prohibits its citizens from gambling of any kind. This is typical of Muslim countries around the world, although there is some quirk with regards to events that could be gambled on. For example, horse and camel racing are both popular sports in the country, despite the fact that gambling is what has kept their popularity alive in other parts of the world. Qatar citizens are not allowed to gamble on the races held in that country.
The bottom line is that while gambling in all forms is illegal, there is a sub-culture of illegal betting that takes place in the country, and the residents themselves still love to play games of chance. There is no indication that the government is going to change its stance on gambling so these illegal games will continue to exist until busted by authorities.
This ban on gambling includes online gambling, and much like other Islamic countries in the region, the country takes advanced measures to ensure its players cannot access sites that offer online slots, table games or any other form of betting. The government has gone so far as to force ISPs to block offending sites, although it is impossible to block them all. The bottom line is that there still hasn’t been any sites that have been prosecuted for offering games or players for playing them online, so for the time being it is still a grey area despite the laws in place.
Online Casino Software Available to Players in Qatar
With the market still a grey area, many online software providers do not consider the risk too great to allow licensees to accept players from Qatar. If you are looking for excellent software with some of the best graphics on the market, you are in luck in Qatar as you will find games from the following providers among the many companies open for business;
These providers alone offer over 1,000 online slot games and dozens of Table Games and video poker options to players. You won’t go wrong if the casino you choose a casino using any of these suppliers.