The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has today enforced a ban on the betting site 1XBET. The ban on the popular gambling application was first announced in August of this year but was not yet implemented, along with TikTok and Telegram.
The statement released by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) cited religious reasons for the ban, as gambling is prohibited in Islam. An additional justification for the ban, is the spread of gambling addiction in Somalia, particularly among the youth.
This, in turn has had an overall negative impact on Somali society. As the money generated from the application is illicit and untaxed.
Earlier this year, in a move aimed at enhancing security and combating terrorism, the Ministry of Communications and Technology of Somalia directed internet service providers in the country to block access to popular social media platforms TikTok and Telegram, as well as the online gambling site 1xBet.
In a country where 60 percent of the population is below the age of 25 according to the World Bank, the government’s decision has sparked anger among the young content creators who have taken to social media to express discontent.
The government cited security and moral conduct as reasons for the ban. In recent years, explicit content including sexual content was widely posted on Telegram groups has made sections of Somalia, a deeply conservative Muslim-majority country, question online safety, especially for unsupervised youths.
Also, activities of al-Shabab, the al-Qaeda-linked armed group active in the country for years, have been posted by unknown users on TikTok and Telegram even as the Somali military has continued an offensive against the group
