Gambling Laws in Ivory Coast 

Varieties of gambling in Ivory Coast are legal under several laws. One of the oldest and main laws regulating any form of gaming in the country is the Law No. 70-208 from March 20th 1970, On the Creation of a National Lottery of Ivory Coast (Loi no.70-208 du 20 mars 1970 portant  creacion de la Loterie Nationale de Cote d’Ivore). Other important laws include various governmental decrees according to which LONACI, the national lottery enjoys a monopoly on the gambling market in the country. Online gambling in Ivory Coast, however, is still not regulated. The only exception in this regard is the online betting sector where the LONACI in partnership with other companies do offer legal online betting on the domestic market.  On November 7th 2019, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Adama Voulibaly, announced the bill for creation of a special authority for regulation of the games of change in Ivory Coast. However, the creation of this entity is still and process and currently questions regarding gaming are administered by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. According to Ivory Coast gambling laws, licenses for providing any of the gambling games can currently also be secured by the same body.  Minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Ivory Coast? With exception of online betting, online gambling in Ivory Coast is not regulated.

Online Casinos in Ivory Coast

Online casinos in Ivory Coast are not regulated as of March 2020. The current legislation allows for betting sites only on condition their work is administered in partnership with the national lottery. Foreign internet casino sites are not available in the country. On the other side land-based casino operators are legal in the country. Currently the only casino in Ivory Coast operates within the Sofitel Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan.

Online Poker in Ivory Coast

Poker in Ivory Coast is a popular pastime, being regularly on the offer of the only casino functioning in the country. Special Ivory Coast online poker laws have not been issued as of March 2020, making online poker unregulated in the country. Recently an act has been issued for stricter control of foreign licensed online poker sites in Ivory Coast which target domestic players, due to which access to many foreign gambling sites from the country is blocked by the authorities. 

Online lottery in Ivory Coast

Loterie Nationale de Cote d’Ivoire (LONACI) is the state licensed provider for all sorts of land-based lotto games in the country. The lottery has developed dozens of lotto and instant games throughout its history. Currently the most popular lotto game they offer is the Loto Bonheur, widely played among locals. However, the lottery has not introduced yet an online lottery in Ivory Coast. Foreign online lotto sites are actively being blocked by the domestic authorities.

Online bingo in Ivory Coast

There are no specific Ivory Coast online bingo laws. Therefore, online bingo is considered to be not regulated in the country. Due to this unregulated status, as of March 2020, there are no specialized sites for online bingo in Ivory Coast. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, can easily be accessed from the country.

Online sports betting in Ivory Coast

Online sports betting in the country is considered legal. The main online sportsbook site in Ivory Coast is run by the sports betting giant, Sports4africa, which operates in the country in partnership with LONACI under the Sportcash brand with an Ivory Coast license obtained by the relevant authorities. Various small, land-based betting shops are also popular among locals. Foreign internet sportsbook sites are actively being blocked by the authorities.

Online daily fantasy sports in Ivory Coast

Online DFS sites in Ivory Coast are considered to fall under the legalization of online sports betting in general. There are several providers of internet Daily Fantasy Sports as of March 2020, the biggest name among them being Sportcash.