Is online gambling legal in Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Legal overview

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has no modern gambling statute. The rules still in use go back to the colonial era: a Governor-General's order of 19 January 1901 bans games of chance in public places, and a decree of 17 August 1927 bans public lotteries. According to a lawyer quoted by the state news agency ACP in June 2026, lotteries, casinos and sports betting may operate only with prior State authorisation, notably from the Ministry of Finance. Running gambling without authorisation is a criminal offence. Organisers can face penal servitude of eight days to three months, and equipment can be confiscated. The state lottery company SONAL dates from a 1984 ordinance.

No law or official text sets up an online casino licence. Industry sources say existing ministerial orders are read broadly enough to cover electronic betting, and that some operators offer online betting in partnership with SONAL. We found no official confirmation that online casino games may be licensed, and no sign that foreign sites are blocked. Online casino play therefore sits in an unregulated grey area, with no clear legal protection for players.

Reform has started. Following Council of Ministers decisions of 8 November 2024 and 11 April 2025, the Ministry of Finance is leading a reform of the sector, and a gambling bill is before Parliament. In July 2026 the Ministry ordered all operators to identify themselves by 31 July and to connect to a new national supervision platform run by the Cellule de surveillance des jeux d'argent (CSJA). Operators that do not connect face administrative sanctions.

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.