Is online gambling legal in Burkina Faso?

Legal overview

Burkina Faso has no legal framework for licensing online casinos. The gambling market is dominated by the state-owned Loterie Nationale Burkinabè (LONAB), which runs the national lottery games and betting products. Since December 2023 LONAB has offered a mobile sports betting game, 'Pari Sportif', in its Faso Pari range; players register through lonab.bf or LONAB's app with an SMS code and fund their accounts with mobile money such as Orange Money and Moov Money.

The gambling rules in force predate the internet and do not address online games. Trade reports in August 2026 noted that Burkina Faso's framework lacks regulation for online games of chance and that, in March 2026, the Council of Ministers considered a draft decree on the concession, organisation, operation and control of games of chance at LONAB, which would give LONAB exclusive responsibility for online games. Whether that decree has been adopted could not be confirmed from official sources. In August 2026 LONAB adopted a responsible gambling policy that commits it to explain game rules, odds of winning and the risks of excessive play, and to pay particular attention to minors and vulnerable people.

No Burkinabè licence for private online casinos exists, and no published law or official measure was found that penalises residents for playing on offshore casino sites or that blocks such sites or payments to them. Online casino play therefore sits in an unregulated grey area. Offshore operators work outside state control, and players who use them have no local regulator to turn to and no protection under Burkinabè law. For lottery and sports betting, LONAB is reported to be the only operator licensed in the country.

Verification status: this overview is based on secondary sources and has not yet been checked against the official law text or the regulator. Confirm the details with the national authority before relying on them.