Is online gambling legal in Comoros?

Legal overview

The Penal Code of the Comoros (Law No. 082/PAF and Law 95-012/AF, adopted in 1982 and 1995) bans gambling in general terms. Article 386 states that the practice of games of chance is prohibited, defining them as games in which chance, skill or combinations are played for gain, and punishes offenders with 15 days to six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 francs. Article 387 punishes anyone who runs a gambling house open to the public or acts as its banker without authorisation by decree, and anyone who runs a lottery not authorised by law, with three months to a year in prison, fines and confiscation of stakes and equipment. The code does not mention online gambling, and we found no decree creating a national online licence.

The island of Anjouan has issued offshore gaming licences since May 2023 through bodies that cite a Computer Gaming Licensing Act of 2005, and around 1,500 businesses appear on their register. These licences target foreign markets, not Comorian residents. The Union government disputes them: in December 2025 the central bank called the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority a fictitious entity, and in October 2026 the government said it was seeking British help to investigate the network behind the gambling licences and was preparing legal action.

For residents, an Anjouan licence does not make online gambling lawful, and the general ban in the Penal Code still applies. No local regulator handles player complaints.