Is online gambling legal in Gabon?

Legal overview

Gabon overhauled its gambling law with Ordinances No. 0010/PR/2025 and No. 0011/PR/2025 of 30 December 2025. The second created La Gabonaise des Jeux (GDJ), a state institution that holds the public monopoly over games of entertainment, money and chance and acts at the same time as operator, regulator and licensing body. Under the new system the GDJ runs its own products and grants licences to private operators, who work under its supervision and control. Bills ratifying the ordinances and creating the GDJ had passed the National Assembly and were before the Senate in June 2026.

In February 2026 the GDJ opened a call for expressions of interest for private licences, with applications due by 2 March 2026. All authorisations, licences and declarations issued under the old system lapsed from 7 April 2026, so operators had to comply with the new framework or stop. Selected operators must show technical, financial and organisational capacity and meet requirements on preventing excessive gambling, protecting minors, anti-money-laundering and secure transactions. The GDJ lists sports betting, horse-race betting, scratch cards, draw games and casino as regulated sectors, and its public register shows licences of the types 'Retail', 'Casino' and 'Jeux en ligne' (online games), with one operator holding an online games licence when checked.

The GDJ site does not define the scope of the online games licence, so it is not clear whether it covers casino games such as slots and live tables or mainly betting. Operators without a GDJ licence, including those relying on foreign licences or on pre-reform authorisations, are not authorised. The GDJ states that gambling is prohibited for anyone under 21, offers voluntary exclusion and accepts complaints and reports of illegal operators.