Congo Senate to consider bills regulating the country's gambling industry

Senators in the Republic of Congo are set to tackle seven new cases, including bills aimed at regulating games of chance, according to an announcement made by Ms. Elisabeth Mapaha, the 2nd secretary of the Senate office.

This disclosure was made at the Conference of Presidents of the permanent committees of the Senate, where the agenda for the third ordinary administrative session was outlined.

During a recent meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 8, Mr. Ludovic Ngatse, the Minister of Budget, presented two crucial bills aimed at regulating the country's gambling sector. The first bill focuses on games of chance and gambling.

In the Republic of Congo, the gambling sector, which includes horse racing and sports betting establishments, casinos, and gaming houses, is currently facing a significant legal void. This vacuum has the potential to lead to various abuses, such as the lack of protection for minors, tenants refusing to fulfill their tax obligations, resulting in a loss of legitimate revenue for the state, disturbances of public order, and the risk of engaging in activities prohibited by law and morality.

The bill submitted to the Council aims to establish a comprehensive legislative framework that will effectively govern these activities and protect against the aforementioned risks.

In addition to the bill regulating games of chance and gambling, Minister Ngatse also presented a bill that proposes the creation of a regulatory authority for games of chance and money. This authority, designed as a public administrative institution, will operate under the supervision of the Minister responsible for the budget. Its primary mission will be to ensure the security of the gambling sector, with regulations being adopted simultaneously.

The regulatory authority will also assume the responsibility of overseeing the online gaming sector, which carries the potential risks of money laundering and potential financing of acts that may jeopardize the internal and external security of the state.