Gambling Surge in Moroccan Cafes During Ramadan Sparks Controversy

While the month of Ramadan rhymes with piety and spirituality, these establishments have abandoned their traditional character as spaces for relaxation and social gatherings, to become places attracting professional gamblers, particularly the "Bingo" game, known as "game of chance", observes Assabah. Gambling professionals rush to these cafes during the nights of Ramadan.

Customers pay set sums of money to obtain cards containing random numbers. They then wait for the announcement of the winning numbers. Gambling games, however, are prohibited by law, except within the framework of special authorizations. The owners of these "clandestine casinos" pocket large sums of money without any fiscal or accounting control, thus depriving the state of resources that could be devoted to financing development projects.

While these illegal activities have aroused the anger of several civil society actors and the concerns of many families, the local authorities in Nador have, for the time being, carried out no effective inspection campaign or intervention to limit the offenses. These activities are not without consequences for the inhabitants.