Iraq orders blockade of online betting platforms, lifts IMDb access ban

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Communications Minister Mustafa Sind has ordered the blocking of all online betting and gambling platforms in the country, citing the need to curb economic risks, addiction-driven algorithms and financial exploitation that he said threatens social stability. In the same written statement, Sind announced that the access ban on film and television database IMDb has been lifted. The platform had been blocked in December 2024 under his predecessor, Heyam al-Yasiri, who said at the time that IMDb had been reviewed by the state-linked Al-Salam General Company and barred for hosting content deemed "immoral" and incompatible with public values. The minister also reported that the online game Roblox was removed from the restricted list on Sunday for the duration of the summer school break, with access to be granted under strict supervision and with the chat function disabled for child users. Iraq's communications ministry has not publicly detailed the technical implementation timeline or enforcement mechanism for the betting platform ban. No further details were immediately available on which sites are covered by the order.