Guinea’s Transitional Council condemns gaming authority chief for telling operators to stop paying taxes

Guinea’s National Transitional Council has publicly denounced a directive issued by the Director General of the Gaming and Related Practices Regulatory Authority, calling it “inadmissible” and “contrary to the law”, after the official instructed operators not to pay mandatory taxes.

According to recent reports, the controversy stems from a letter dated 4 February 2025, in which the Director General of the regulatory authority ordered licensed gambling companies to halt the payment of all legally required duties and taxes. The directive resurfaced in November 2025, triggering an immediate and forceful response from the Transitional Council, which emphasized that no regulatory body has the authority to suspend tax obligations established by law.

Members of the council stated that the instruction endangered public revenue, undermined legal certainty for operators and threatened the integrity of the country’s gaming regulatory framework. They reaffirmed that all operators must continue paying taxes as mandated and that any attempt to override national tax law would be treated as a breach of regulatory conduct.

The incident has renewed debate around governance, oversight and transparency within Guinea’s gaming sector. Industry observers note that the clash highlights deeper structural tensions between regulators and political authorities, and may lead to further institutional reforms in the coming months.