Casinos in Israel

Introduction

Gambling has become a global phenomenon and nowadays it can be found in almost every country in the world in both forms, as tangible or virtual entertainment.

Online casinos and land casinos both offer plenty of gaming opportunities and benefits. The best thing to do is to do some quick research before deciding to take the leap and join a venue. The good news is that we have done that for you so let’s see what Israel has to offer…

Israel is a country with a rich but also complicated history and politics…

…let’s dive in!

Israel is officially named the State of Israel and is located in the Southern Levant, West Asia. Although it has declared its establishment in 1948, it is assumed that it has been inhabited by predecessors of homo sapiens, archaic humans, around one and a half million years ago…

How fascinating!

The capital of Israel is Jerusalem but its recognition is limited since both Israel and Palestine claim it as their own. Tel Aviv is the financial, economical and technological center of the country. The official language is Hebrew but Arabic is also recognized and the currency of Israel is the new shekel. There are almost 10 million inhabitants based on the estimation made in 2024. Additionally, Israel is the only country in the world that uses a Hebrew calendar. Some interesting facts about the country is that it has the most Nobel prize winners per capita in the world and it is loaded with natural and religious wonders making it rather popular among tourists!

It’s complicated…

When it comes to politics and wars in Israel, the list of issues and conflicts is quite long. A day after proclaiming its independence in 1948, neighboring Arab states invaded and thus started the First Arab-Israeli War. Then in 1967, in the Six Day War, they clashed again. The period in between was filled with migrations of people coming in and leaving the territory and general restlessness within the country. The Yom Kippur War is another extension of the conflict between Israel and Arab States and it occurred in 1973. In recent years, the relationship between Israel and the Arab countries has been normalized but the country has entered the 2020’s with new issues arising, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which hasn’t been settled yet…

The History of Gambling

Since ancient times, gambling has been frowned upon among Jewish people.

The rabbis and other members of religious communities understood even back then that gambling is addictive and have considered engaging in gambling as a sign of moral weakness and sometimes it even led to severe punishment. Also, professional gamblers were called robbers and were considered annihilators of families. Their gambling usually made them bad spouses, led to domestic violence and went hand in hand with alcoholism. There were often various laws and rules prohibiting gambling and generally they were applied but sometimes they were flexible in certain circumstances such as major holidays and special family occasions.

On the other hand…

Gambling in Synagogues was a common thing under specific conditions. Participating in gambling when the motive is not personal gain but something won for charity was not considered a sin. Some rabbis claimed that different winnings required different blessings. It seems that in the past, according to that law, gambling was considered bad for personal gain but a whole win or a part of it that goes to charity was acceptable!

Legislation and Jurisdiction

Most forms of gambling are banned in Israel due to the religious views of the country.

There are only two types of gambling that are allowed by the Israeli government, sports betting and the National Lottery. The sports betting board was established in 1967. and the National Lottery in 1951. The legal entities that make the decisions regarding this subject are the Israeli Commission For Sports Gambling and Mifal Hapayis, the company that oversees the national lottery. The common casino games can be found only on some cruise ships that may be docked in major cities of Israel.

Popular Spots and Games

In spite of these legal restrictions, residents like to engage in table games such as Baccarat, Blackjack and Roulette and often find offshore online sites where they can enjoy the games. Although the government wishes to find a way to prevent online gambling, it hasn’t yet succeeded in doing so.

When it comes to land casinos, the news is bad, there aren’t any, which is in accordance with the laws we have reviewed. The only thing eager players who seek land based casinos can do is to visit some of the nearby countries who have land casinos such as Egypt and Lebanon.

Banking

When it comes to most common payment methods used by the residents of Israel, major cards such as Visa and MasterCard take the number one spot and are followed by cash. Furthermore, a Mint card that can be used to pay for goods and services online is accepted. A solid percentage of payment options in Israel take e-wallets, some of which are PayPal, ApplePay and Google Wallet, so foreign travelers may use some of them to make payments…

To Conclude

Israel is a country with such a long and complex history that still has its political issues that need to be resolved. In addition to this, there are numerous amazing sights to visit there and has produced a large number of Nobel prize winners which is really admirable. As far as gambling is concerned, it is not the place to seek land based entertainment because there isn’t any apart from the legal activities, the national lottery and sports wagering. Perhaps here and there someone organizes some illegal gambling in dark basements and hidden facilities but it is best to stay away from those. Gamers from Israel interested in online gambling will probably find online places that will accept them but gamers who want to sit in a casino, watch the wheel spin in Roulette or play card games like poker need to travel to other countries to make their wish come true…