Gambling Laws in Congo

Various forms of land-based gambling in Congo are legal under the current gambling legislation in the country. However, as there are no specific online gambling laws in Congo, it is generally considered that online gambling in Congo is not regulated.  The body responsible for regulation of the legal gambling in the country is a specially assigned office within the Congolese Ministry of Finance. This body is responsible for supervising the work of the companies in the gambling sector and also for the granting of licenses of prospective operators. According to Congolese gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in any lotto activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Congo? All forms of online gambling are not regulated in Congo.

Online Casinos in Congo

Casino Etoile is the biggest casino operating in Congo, as of April 2019. Beside this land-based casino establishment there are no online casinos in Congo. Online gambling in the country is not regulated under the current gambling laws. This is the reason why no Congolese online casino licenses have been on the offer so far. However, several companies operating the market with betting licenses based on which they provide online betting services too, offer among their sections a limited variety of online casino games. PremierBet is one such company active on the market in Congo especially in the sports betting sector. Foreign internet casino sites are not blocked from accessing the gambling market of Congo by the respective authorities.

Online Poker in Congo

Poker in Congo can only be played legally in the frames of the operating casino. Outside of the casino poker for prizes is considered to be illegal. As of October 2019 there are no online poker sites in Congo. As there are no specific Congolese online poker laws, no Congolese online poker licenses have been on the offer. Foreign online poker sites, are not blocked from accessing the gambling market in Congo.

Online lottery in Congo

The Congolese Lottery Management (COGELO SA) is the national lottery of Congo. It is supervised by the Minister of Finance, Budget and Public Portfolio (Ministre des Finances, du Budget et du Portefeuille public) and administered by a Board of Directors. There are four main types of games that the lottery administers: instant lotto games, horse race betting, sports betting and lotto draws. Other lottery operating the Congolese market is the African Lottery (LOTAF). This lottery through a special agreement with LudWin administers the Sports4Africa website, offering mainly sports betting games. Online lottery in Congo, however, is still not an option. Foreign online lotto sites are not blocked from accessing the Congolese market.

Online bingo in Congo

Similar as in cases with the other gambling sites, there are also no online bingo sites in Congo. Since there are no specific Congolese online bingo laws, there have been no offers for licenses regarding online bingo by the respective gambling authorities, as of October  2019. Foreign online bingo sites are not blocked from accessing the market of Congo.

Online sports betting in Congo

Various forms of sports betting in Congo are legal under the current gambling and betting legislation. The Congolese Lottery Management (COGELO SA) is one of the main providers of sports betting and horse race betting opportunities in the country. Beside them there are plenty of green betting desks opened in the bigger cities in Congo which are owned by the big African bookmakers such as Premier and Chance Sports Bet as well as the Sports4Africa website. The Cogelo Premier Bet Parifoot site is one of the most popular online sportsbook sites in Congo, beside the not regulated status of online betting in the country. There are, also, plenty of foreign internet sportsbook sites which are actively targeting Congolese players, most of them licensed in Africa and offering content in French.

Online daily fantasy sports in Congo

Online DFS sites in Congo do not have a legally regulated status. Considering the non regulated status of online sports betting in the country, it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would not receive soon a legal status in Congo. However the Sports4Africa website does offer virtual sports section on their platform which is the only DFS section in the country.