Is online gambling legal in Cameroon?

Legal overview

Gambling in Cameroon is governed by Law No. 2015/012 of 16 July 2015, which sets the regime for entertainment games, games of money and games of chance, and by its implementing decree signed by the Prime Minister on 18 July 2019. Casinos, betting and public lotteries are run under ten-year concessions. Online games need a separate authorisation valid for five years, and the decree lists two kinds of online game: online betting and online poker. Online casino games, slots and live casino are not named, so they cannot be authorised.

The Minister in charge of games grants online authorisations after receiving opinions from the regulatory authority (ARJ) and from the body that certifies electronic equipment. An operator must have its head office in Cameroon, or a Cameroonian subsidiary. It must post a bank bond of 200 million FCFA, secure players' balances, pass IT security audits and run its site only on a .cm domain. Players must be identified and their age checked when they register. Operators must also offer self-exclusion, moderation tools and deposit and stake limits, and they may not lend money to players.

Illegal online games and bets face immediate closure, on top of criminal penalties under the 2015 law, although the decree sets out no website-blocking procedure. The Minister keeps a file of barred players, updated each year, which operators check through the ARJ. A ban lasts three years. The decree refers to the age of civil majority rather than giving a number. Operators also pay an annual levy of 2% of turnover.