Côte d’Ivoire steps up gambling oversight with digital platform and anti-slot campaign

The Autorité de Régulation des Jeux de Hasard (ARJH) in Côte d’Ivoire has launched a nationwide awareness initiative targeting illegal slot machines, while the government has approved a public-private deal to deploy a centralised digital monitoring platform for the country’s gaming sector.

In October 2025 the ARJH rolled out its awareness campaign across regions including Kouassi Kouassikro, Bocanda and Dimbokro, specifically calling out unlicensed slot machines which it says expose players — particularly youth — to financial exploitation and criminal risk. ARJH spokesman Daho Mamadou said “our objective is to protect the youth from illegal practices that promise easy money but lead to harm”.

Parallel to the public education drive, the government approved on 1 October a decree formalising a partnership between the Loterie Nationale de Côte d’Ivoire (LONACI) and tech-firm Afitech CI to build and operate a national centralisation and monitoring platform for all concessioned games of chance. According to the official publication, the system will enable tracking of monetary flows, operator activity and unauthorized machines, strengthening regulatory oversight.

The dual strategy — combining enforcement of physical machines with digital monitoring tools — signals a shift in the West African country’s gaming-regulation model. Industry observers note this intensification comes at a time of rapid growth in the digital gambling market in Côte d’Ivoire and the region.

For operators, affiliates and regulators in the gambling-business ecosystem this development holds several implications: tighter entry and monitoring requirements, increased compliance costs, and potential reduction in unlicensed competition. The platform may also feed into tax and licensing frameworks given improved data availability.