Sports and betting

Football is the No. 1 unconditional sport: matches of the national team and leading clubs (al-Shorta, al-Zawraa, al-Quva al-Jawiya) gather full stands in Basra and Baghdad; interest in futsal and academies is growing.

Among the notable disciplines are weightlifting, wrestling, martial arts, basketball and rising e-sports.

The legal background is tough: gambling in the country as a whole is prohibited, there are no licensed bookmakers; advertising and offline bidding points are not allowed.

In practice, demand goes into the "gray" zone - private sweepstakes and offshore sites, where the risks are high (from blocking and losses of funds to violations of the responsible game).

The payment environment is still predominantly cash; cashless and digital wallets are evolving, but operators operating legally in other markets typically geo-block Iraq.

For media and clubs, a safe model is neutral sports partnerships, educational content about fair play and an emphasis on mass sports without promoting bets.