Casinos in Morocco

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Home to captivating mosques and palaces widely known for their sophisticated design and astonishing artistry, Morocco represents a rich and varied mix of cultures. Aside from the amazing craftwork, and impressive architecture, Morocco accommodates a couple of refined land-based casinos, attracting the attention of avid gamblers.

Situated in the Maghreb region of North Africa, this country, officially known as the Kingdom of Morocco, has blossomed as a center for painting, sculpture-making, music, and film-making since gaining independence in 1956. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Morocco is one of the leading destinations for international tourists traveling to Africa.

As hinted at the very beginning, Morocco is one of the rare Islamic countries where gambling is completely legal, at least in its land-based sector. So, aside from admiring its marvelous architecture, visitors can have fun spinning the reels, throwing dice, and shuffling cards in casinos country-wide.

Other Arab countries where land-based gambling is legal include Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon. What’s particularly interesting is that these four countries not only permit tourists to gamble at casinos but locals as well provided that they have dual citizenship.

Gambling Laws & Regulations in Morocco

Morocco made gambling legal back in 1930, with horse racing being the first legalized form of wagering. Bets were placed on races that took place on the country’s first track, the Hippodrome de Casa-Anfa in Casablanca. Following this, the lottery was made official, giving players more options to choose from.

Established in 1952, the Casino de Marrakech is Morocco’s first casino. Fully renovated in 2003, preserved its historical façade, remaining a true living legend at the heart of Es Saadi.

After regaining independence from France in 1956 and from 1958, the country witnessed a rapid development of the land-based casino industry, with more establishments entering the business. Shem's Casino d'Agadir, Le Grand Casino La Mamounia, and Casino Le Mirage are just some of the establishments where guests can experience top-of-the-class gaming experience.

Even though there’s no official regulatory body in charge of regulating and supervising the industry, it’s not a complete Wild West out there.

Given the exclusivity by Ministerial Decree, three national operators have approvals to offer different games and bets to consumers in Morocco. Horse race betting is provided by SOREC, Marocaine des Jeux supplies sports betting whereas the Loterie Nationale is in charge of lottery products. Casinos are regulated by regional concessions.

Depending on one casino to another, the gambling age varies from 18 to 21.

As paradoxical as it sounds, its online counterpart remains in the dark, pushing locals to seek alternatives. As iGaming is yet unregulated in Morocco, locals are given no other choice but to seek options with foreign gambling operators.

Popular Games

An undisputed leader in land-based casinos (and online as well), at least in terms of quantity, slot games are the most widely spread category of games in Morocco. State-of-the-art electronic slot machines with immersive gameplays and jaw-dropping jackpots are waiting out there to be triggered.

If Shem's Casino d'Agadir happens to be your choice, you will be able to explore both modern and vintage slots. Electronic slots are equipped with TITO technology, touch screens, and bill acceptors, and have a wide spectrum of denominations. Mechanical machines, or so-called coin-operated machines are featured as well, all with the legendary sound of coin disbursement.

If you belong to poker afficionados, then don’t miss the opportunity to explore Casino de Marrakech’s rooms. Welcoming the biggest names in the segment, this is the place where renowned poker tournaments such as World Poker Tour National (WPTN), the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOP), the Winamax Sismix, and the Marrakech Poker Open take place.

Other types of games that can be played at Moroccan land-based casinos include Ultimate Poker, 3 Card Poker, English Roulette, Blackjack, 5-card poker, and so on.

Payment Options

The Moroccan dirham is the official monetary currency of Morocco (DAM) and it is subdivided into 100 centimes (or cents). It replaced French Franc which was in use until 1960.

Cash and major credit cards like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are widely accepted by most businesses, so it is assumed that those can be used in land-based casinos as well. Some resorts even support other cards and e-wallets, such as JCC, Diners, China UnionPay, Post Finance, ELO, Bancontact, Sofort, iDeal, Przelewy24, PayPal, Alipay, WeChat, ShareGroop, and Banque Casino cards, but the best would be to inquire before arrival.

As for the international currencies accepted in this region, those include US dollars, Euros, and British pounds. When it comes to ATMs in Morocco, they are found in big towns, and to a lesser extent in small villages and the Sahara Desert region. The great thing is that ATMs are said to have the best exchange rates, but they tend to be short on cash during the peak tourism season.

Dress Code and Responsible Gambling

The vast majority of land-based casinos have their own dress code expectations, to say so, and they are rarely willing to back out of it, if ever. In most cases, guests should go by smart casual.

If, for example, you were to visit Casino Atlantic Agadir, you wouldn’t be permitted to enter the premises if you are wearing vests, sleeveless shirts, swimming shorts cut-off jeans, tracksuits, or even working clothing. Clothing with extreme wording and T-shirts or sweatshirts with adult slogans or images won’t be tolerated either.

Although responsible gambling is a topic hotly discussed in online casinos, it is equally important and prioritized in the land-based industry as well.

Insisting that casinos should remain places of relaxation and entertainment, and not a need, Shem's Casino d'Agadir equipped its dedicated page with instructions on how to stay safe while gambling. Players are advised to set limits, avoid borrowing money to gamble, learn to cope with disturbing emotions and accept losses as an inevitable part of the process.

Casino Atlantic Agadir also has a well-equipped page explaining what represents responsible gambling and how to recognize the symptoms of problematic behavior. Increasing the amount of bet frequency to get the desired excitement, feeling irritated when you can’t play, and committing forgery, theft, and other illegal acts are some of the signs.