Online Gambling in the Maldives: How It Spread and How Authorities Responded

This page looks at online gambling in the Maldives as a social and policy issue: how it spread, what the government has done, the scams that operate in the same spaces, and the harms officials point to. For the legal detail, see our page on Maldives casino laws.

It does not describe what an individual gambling site is or how one works. That is the subject of our page on what online casinos mean for people in the Maldives.

What online gambling covers

Online gambling takes several forms: betting on sports and other events, casino-style games such as slots and roulette, and draws that resemble lotteries. Our rundown of the main game types explains how each family works.

The bill submitted in December 2025 defines gambling broadly, as giving up something of value through a game, tournament, scheme or event in exchange for a determinable outcome, whether in person or electronically¹. It exempts free-entry lotteries where winners are drawn, and prize competitions held for entertainment or sport¹.

How it spread

Maldivian outlets have described a rise in online betting. In July 2024 Maldives Voice reported that betting sites had grown in popularity and were frequently promoted through Telegram, social media and other digital channels².

Sun Online reported at the same time that betting and gambling had become increasingly prevalent among young people, with links commonly shared on social media and Telegram³.

By January 2026, The Edition reported that the number of gambling websites had increased significantly, with platforms frequently promoted through Telegram and other social media channels in the Maldives¹.

Those links arrive on phones. App store rules, unofficial downloads and clone apps are covered separately in our page on mobile casino apps and their risks.

The Attorney General's comments in October 2024 were reported alongside the observation that online betting through Telegram groups and social media platforms had become common in the country⁴.

The Maldives Journal reported that the growth of online gambling had led to significant debt among some people⁵.

The government response

The response has developed in three strands.

Blocking websites

In July 2024 the Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM) began blocking online betting sites on police orders, without disclosing how many⁶. Maldives Voice noted that the step followed CAM's earlier move to block pornographic websites².

Restricting payments

Bank of Maldives said in 2020 that it was disabling the use of its cards on gambling, online trading and cryptocurrency websites⁷. Some banks have also blocked transactions related to gambling websites, according to The Maldives Journal⁵.

Changing the law

In coverage published on 31 October 2024, Attorney General Ahmed Usham described online gambling as an increasingly problematic issue and said the law would be amended to ban it⁴. The government submitted a bill in December 2025 to make gambling and operating a gambling establishment criminal offences⁸.

As of 11 September 2026, KiraBet has not confirmed whether the bill has passed.

Scams and fraud patterns

Police and bank figures on scams in the Maldives cover fraud in general, not gambling specifically. They are still useful, because they show the tactics used in the same apps where betting sites are promoted.

• Volume. The police Anti-Scam Centre reported 142 scam cases in April 2025, including 64 e-commerce scams and 38 foreign currency exchange frauds. Facebook Marketplace was involved in 52 cases and Viber in 30⁹.
• Losses. More than 130 scams were recorded in May 2025, with losses of about MVR 1.4 million¹⁰. During a regional operation from 28 April to 28 May 2025, the Maldives recorded 199 scam cases and MVR 2.91 million in losses, of which MVR 640,000 was recovered¹¹.
• Account takeover. Police have warned of links sent over Telegram, often claiming to contain photos, that lead people to share a one-time password and lose control of their account¹⁰.
• Too-good-to-last returns. Bank of Maldives warns that online trading scams often pay some early returns before the payments stop and victims face large losses¹².
• Currency exchange offers. The bank also describes groups on Telegram and Viber that sell US dollars at attractive rates and never deliver¹².

The pattern of small early returns followed by nothing is worth keeping in mind with any website that takes deposits and controls withdrawals. Our guide to checking a gambling site before trusting it lists the signals worth looking for.

The harms officials point to

Maldivian coverage frames the government's action as protecting people from gambling addiction and financial instability⁵.

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.2% of the world's adult population has a gambling disorder¹³. It lists harms including diverted household spending, relationship breakdown, mental illness and crime, and notes that online access allows gambling almost anywhere and at any time, even where it is prohibited¹³.

WHO also estimates that for every person gambling at high-risk levels, an average of six others are affected¹³. It adds that people gambling at harmful levels generate around 60% of gambling losses¹³, which means the industry's revenue depends heavily on the people most at risk.

Where to go next

• The bill and how to check its status, including the official sources that record it.
• Casino payment methods and their risks for why money sent to unregulated sites is hard to recover.
• Support for gambling harm if gambling is affecting you or someone close to you.