Burundi moves toward gambling regulation: new decree proposed

At the end of June 2024, during a Council of Ministers meeting, the Minister of Trade, Industry, Transport, and Tourism introduced a draft decree aimed at regulating gambling, lotteries, and betting in Burundi. This initiative is a pivotal move towards establishing a structured regulatory framework for gambling activities in the country.

 

Currently, operators in the gambling sector are exploiting the existing lenient regulations, a situation that the National Lottery of Burundi (LONA) is responsible for rectifying. LONA serves as the state authority overseeing bookmakers and betting operators.

 

Historically, LONA was the exclusive organizer of gambling activities in Burundi until 2000, primarily through scratch cards. Today, it collaborates with 15 licensed partners who hold concession contracts for gambling and continues to receive inquiries from other businesses seeking to invest in this area.

 

As a result, LONA has taken on dual roles as both an operator and a regulator.In 2023, the government implemented a Strategy for the Control and Regulation of Gambling, which aims to create a legal framework to enhance the regulation of the gambling sector, ensuring it contributes positively to the socio-economic development of the nation. The current draft decree seeks to:

• Establish a well-organized, regulated, and controlled gambling sector.
• Safeguard the general public and protect players.
• Assess the contribution of gaming companies to the socio-economic growth of the country.

Following a thorough analysis, the Council of Ministers noted several key points:

• The financial contributions made by operators to the state treasury require careful examination.
• The conditions under which these activities are conducted need clarification.
• Specific locations and operational hours for these activities must be defined.
• The duration of licenses for approved operators and the conditions for renewing these licenses should be clearly outlined.

The draft will be revisited in a future Council of Ministers meeting, alongside a proposed decree for the establishment and organization of the Gambling Regulation Agency in Burundi.