Niger: gambling regulation and licensing
- Online sports bettingMonopoly
- Online casinoNot yet verified
- Online pokerNot yet verified
- iLotteryMonopoly
- Horse race bettingMonopoly
- Land-based (reference)Regulated
- Regulator
- Ministry of Economy and Finance
- Headline tax
- 35% GGR
- Licence required
- Yes
- Last verified
- 24 Sept 2026
Summary
Niger runs gambling through a state monopoly with a small licensed land-based sector and no independent regulator. The Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI), a public industrial and commercial establishment attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, states that it holds the monopoly of gaming with money stakes on the national territory. It runs the PMU on French horse races, Loto 5/90 and scratch cards through its agency network, and fixed-odds sports betting, including online through its Parisfoot platform. LONANI was re-created by Decree 2023-409 of 18 May 2023 to fit the 2020 law on public establishments. Casinos and slot machine rooms need the prior approval of the Minister of Finance under Ordinance 93-019 and Decree 93-061 of 1993; GIABA counted 2 casinos and 54 licensed gaming rooms at the end of 2019. From 1 January 2026 the tax on lotteries and games of chance is 15% of gross receipts for pari-mutuel bets and other games and 35% of the gross margin on LONANI's fixed-odds bets, replacing 15% on LONANI stakes and 20% on other operators. No law or licence for private online operators was found, and the status of online casino and poker could not be established. The Penal Code punishes unauthorised gaming houses and lotteries, and players in an unauthorised gaming house face up to two years. Casinos and the national lottery are reporting businesses under AML Law 2016-33, supervised by the Ministry of Finance, which GIABA found lacked the means to supervise them.
Common pitfalls
Treating LONANI only as an operator: it also authorises and inspects gaming rooms, while licensing authority rests with the Minister of Finance. Relying on the old tax rates: the 15% levy on LONANI stakes and the 20% tax on other operators' games were replaced on 1 January 2026. Assuming Parisfoot proves an open online market: it is LONANI's own platform, and no licence for private online operators was found. Citing pre-2026 tax code article numbers: the gaming tax now sits in articles 418 and 419.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)
- Regulator type
- Government ministry
- Headline tax
- 35% GGR
- Licence required
- Yes
- Minimum age
- Not yet verified
- Tax base
- Tax on lotteries and games of chance, General Tax Code articles 418 and 419 as amended by Ordinance 2025-44 from 1 January 2026. For LONANI's lotteries, the base is the total stakes placed on PMU tickets and other LONANI products, taxed at 15%, except fixed-odds bets, whose base is the gross margin, taxed at 35%. For games of chance run by other operators, the base is the gross gaming product or the turnover on all games made available to the public, and the rate for "other games made available to the public" is 15% of gross receipts. The ggrTaxRate field therefore refers to LONANI fixed-odds betting and the turnoverTaxRate field to LONANI's PMU and lotteries. Until 31 December 2025 the code charged 15% on stakes on LONANI products, deducted at source, and 20% of receipts on games of chance run by other operators (former articles 276, 277 and 283).
Legal framework
Primary statutes
Ordinance No. 93-019 of 22 March 1993 regulating lotteries and raffles
Ordonnance n° 93-019 du 22 mars 1993 portant réglementation des loteries et tombolas
- Year
- 1993
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Cited by the GIABA mutual evaluation as the source, in its article 2, of the operating and licensing requirements for casinos, lotteries and gaming establishments, under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance. Its text was not found online.
Code pénal, Chapitre VII: Maisons de jeux, jeux de hasard, loteries, maisons de prêts sur gages et délit d'usure
- Year
- 1961
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Keeping a gaming house open to the public without the authorisation of the public authority: one to five years and XOF 50,000 to 5,000,000 for the keepers and staff, three months to two years and XOF 5,000 to 100,000 for players (article 356). Searches of hotels, bars, clubs and other places open to the public are allowed at any hour where gamblers are habitually received (article 357). Setting up or keeping games of chance on the public highway or in a public place: ten days to two months and XOF 20,000 to 200,000, the same for players, with immediate arrest and summary trial (articles 358 and 359, as amended in 2003). Setting up or keeping a lottery or raffle without authorisation: six months to two years and XOF 20,000 to 200,000 (article 360). Loss of civic rights, residence bans and confiscation of stakes, equipment and furnishings may follow (articles 362 and 363).
Law No. 2016-33 on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism
Loi n° 2016-33 relative à la lutte contre le blanchiment de capitaux et le financement du terrorisme
- Year
- 2016
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Transposes the UEMOA uniform AML/CFT law (Directive No. 02/2015/CM/UEMOA) and applies to designated non-financial businesses and professions, including casinos and gaming establishments. Casinos must apply customer due diligence to transactions of XOF 1,000,000 or more (articles 18, 29 and 44 c, as summarised by GIABA), and no designated business may operate without prior registration with its supervisor (article 88). Whether a later AML text has replaced it was not verified.
Secondary instruments
Decree No. 93-061/PM/MF/P of 26 March 1993 establishing the licensing requirements for lotteries and raffles
Décret n° 93-061/PM/MF/P du 26 mars 1993
- Year
- 1993
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Articles 2 to 8 make lotteries and raffles subject to the prior approval of the Minister of Finance; applicants produce a police clearance less than three months old and undergo a fit and proper investigation by the gendarmerie or police (articles 2 and 3). Applications are filed with the sub-prefecture or town council. Text not found online; described from the GIABA evaluation.
Decree No. 2023-409/PRN/MF of 18 May 2023 creating the Loterie Nationale du Niger as a public industrial and commercial establishment, and the decree approving its statutes
Décret n° 2023-409/PRN/MF du 18 mai 2023 portant création d'un Etablissement Public à caractère Industriel et Commercial dénommé « Loterie Nationale du Niger »
- Year
- 2023
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Adopted by the Council of Ministers on 18 May 2023 to bring LONANI's creation, organisation and functioning into line with Law No. 2020-020 bis of 3 June 2020 on categories of public establishments. LONANI was previously constituted under Ordinance No. 93-006 of 15 February 1993. The decree texts were not found online.
Order No. 213/MF/LONANI/DG of 28 May 2012 regulating PMU forecast competitions on horse races, as amended by Order No. 000411/MEF/LONANI/DG of 29 September 2023
Arrêté n° 213/MF/LONANI/DG du 28 mai 2012 portant règlementation des concours de pronostics de Pari Mutuel Urbain
- Year
- 2012
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- The game rules for LONANI's PMU. Article 7, as amended in 2023, provides that where a race is cancelled or unexpectedly split after bets are recorded, bets are settled on a public machine draw of five numbers, supervised by a bailiff and a monitoring committee.
Decree No. 2020-113/PRN/MF of 27 January 2020 designating the AML/CFT supervisors of designated non-financial businesses and professions
Décret n° 2020-113/PRN/MF du 27 janvier 2020
- Year
- 2020
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Names the ministry in charge of finance as AML/CFT supervisor of providers of gambling services, in particular the owners, directors and managers of casinos and gaming establishments, including the national lottery.
Ordinance No. 2025-44 of 31 December 2025 on the finance law for 2026, articles 13 and 16
Ordonnance n° 2025-44 du 31 décembre 2025 portant loi de finances pour l'année budgétaire 2026
- Year
- 2025
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- From 1 January 2026 rewrites General Tax Code articles 418 and 419 on the tax on lotteries and games of chance: 15% of gross receipts for pari-mutuel bets and other games made available to the public, and 35% of the gross margin on fixed-odds bets organised by LONANI. Article 13 keeps the VAT exemption for businesses whose main activity is games of chance and lotteries and which pay that tax (article 322, 20°). The amending Ordinance No. 2026-45 of 21 August 2026 does not change articles 418 and 419.
Key amendments
- 13 Jun 2003Law 2003-025 amends the Penal Code, including article 358 on games of chance on the public highway and in public places.
- 29 Sept 2023Order 000411/MEF/LONANI/DG amends the 2012 PMU rules on cancelled or split races.
- 1 Jan 2026Finance law for 2026 sets the tax on lotteries and games of chance at 15% of gross receipts and 35% of the gross margin on LONANI fixed-odds bets, replacing 15% on LONANI stakes and 20% on other operators' games.
Licensing
- Licence required
- Yes
- Application window
- Not yet verified
- Local establishment required
- Not yet verified
- Local server required
- Not yet verified
- Notable licensees
- Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI), statutory monopoly operator
- Barriers to entry
- LONANI holds the monopoly of gaming with money stakes, and no law or licence for private online operators was found. Land-based casinos and slot machine rooms need the prior approval of the Minister of Finance under Ordinance 93-019 and Decree 93-061, with a police clearance and a gendarmerie or police investigation of the applicant; the application is filed with the sub-prefecture or town council. LONANI told the state press agency in 2023 that it authorises gaming rooms only in a fixed, identified room inspected by the fire service, and never street machines. The GIABA evaluation counted 2 casinos and 54 gaming rooms licensed at the end of 2019 (its summary table lists 49 lottery and other games of chance operators). No public licence register was found.
Licence types
Authorisation to operate a casino or gaming establishment (slot machine room)
- Scope
- Casinos and gaming rooms at a fixed, identified location, with the number of machines stated in the authorisation
- Fee basis
- Tax on games of chance of 15% of gross receipts, assessed on gross gaming product or turnover (General Tax Code articles 418 b and 419, from 1 January 2026).
LONANI statutory monopoly
- Scope
- Lotteries, Loto 5/90, scratch cards, PMU horse race betting and fixed-odds sports betting, including online through Parisfoot. Not open to other applicants.
- Fee basis
- Tax of 15% on stakes for PMU and other LONANI games and 35% of gross margin on fixed-odds bets (General Tax Code articles 418 a and 419).
Taxation
- Headline GGR tax
- 35% GGR
- Effective date
- 1 Jan 2026
- Turnover tax
- 15%
- VAT treatment
- Receipts of businesses whose main activity is organising games of chance and lotteries and which pay the tax on lotteries and games of chance are exempt from VAT (General Tax Code article 322, 20°, as restated by Ordinance 2025-44 and by Ordinance 2026-45). LONANI tickets were exempt from stamp duty under the pre-2026 code (former article 720).
- Tax base
- Tax on lotteries and games of chance, General Tax Code articles 418 and 419 as amended by Ordinance 2025-44 from 1 January 2026. For LONANI's lotteries, the base is the total stakes placed on PMU tickets and other LONANI products, taxed at 15%, except fixed-odds bets, whose base is the gross margin, taxed at 35%. For games of chance run by other operators, the base is the gross gaming product or the turnover on all games made available to the public, and the rate for "other games made available to the public" is 15% of gross receipts. The ggrTaxRate field therefore refers to LONANI fixed-odds betting and the turnoverTaxRate field to LONANI's PMU and lotteries. Until 31 December 2025 the code charged 15% on stakes on LONANI products, deducted at source, and 20% of receipts on games of chance run by other operators (former articles 276, 277 and 283).
Compliance
- Minimum age
- Not yet verified
- National self-exclusion
- Not yet verified
- KYC timing
- Threshold-based: at transactions of XOF 1,000,000 or more for casinos (Law 2016-33, as summarised by GIABA).
- AML regime
- Casinos and gaming establishments, including the national lottery, are designated non-financial businesses and professions under Law 2016-33, which transposes the UEMOA uniform AML/CFT law. GIABA rated Niger partially compliant on customer due diligence and on supervision of these businesses in 2021, finding that the Ministry of Finance lacked the powers and resources to supervise casinos and that the sector, assessed as high risk in the national risk assessment, did not understand its obligations. Niger does not appear on the FATF lists of jurisdictions under increased monitoring; GIABA published a fourth enhanced follow-up report in January 2026.
- AML supervisor
- Ministry in charge of finance (Decree 2020-113/PRN/MF of 27 January 2020)
- KYC requirements
- Under Law 2016-33, casinos must apply customer due diligence to transactions of XOF 1,000,000 or more (articles 18, 29 and 44 c, as summarised by GIABA). GIABA found in 2020 that the casinos did not ask regular customers for identity documents and paid winnings in cash, and that LONANI identified customers only from winnings of XOF 1,000,000.
- Stake limits
- LONANI's Loto 5/90 takes stakes of XOF 300 to 100,000 at fixed odds (operator rules).
- Game content restrictions
- PMU game rules are set by LONANI order (Order 213/MF/LONANI/DG of 2012, amended in 2023). LONANI's Parisfoot platform states that betting is not authorised for persons under 18; the statutory source of that age limit was not found.
Minimum age by vertical
- Online sports betting: 18+
Advertising
- Advertising permitted
- Not yet verified
Restrictions
- No gambling-specific advertising rules were found in the Penal Code chapter on gaming houses and lotteries, the tax code provisions on games, or the other texts read.
Enforcement
- ISP blocking
- Not yet verified
- DNS blocking
- Not yet verified
- Payment blocking
- Not yet verified
- App store takedowns
- Not yet verified
- Criminal penalties
- Unauthorised gaming house open to the public: one to five years and XOF 50,000 to 5,000,000 (Penal Code article 356). Games of chance on the public highway or in a public place: ten days to two months and XOF 20,000 to 200,000, with immediate arrest (articles 358 and 359). Unauthorised lottery or raffle: six months to two years and XOF 20,000 to 200,000 (article 360). Confiscation of stakes, equipment and furnishings, loss of civic rights and residence bans may be added (articles 362 and 363).
- Operator liability
- Keepers, staff and agents of an unauthorised gaming house, and anyone running unauthorised games in public places or unauthorised lotteries, are criminally liable (Penal Code articles 356, 358 and 360).
- Player liability
- Players in an unauthorised gaming house face three months to two years and XOF 5,000 to 100,000 (Penal Code article 356), and players of games of chance on the public highway or in a public place face the same penalties as the organisers (article 358).
Notable actions
- Gaming rooms and slot machines across Niger5 Aug 2019
LONANI Decision No. 69/LONANI/DG/CI set up a committee to inspect and identify all gaming establishments and slot machines; its report to the Minister of the Interior found abusive use of operating permits and roaming slot machines operated without authorisation.
- Unauthorised street slot machines in Niamey11 Jan 2023
LONANI said it had repeatedly called on the vice squad to seize street machines used largely by minors, and that illegal machines found during its inspections are seized.
Market data
- Online GGR
- Not yet verified
Timeline
15 Jul 1961
Law 61-27 institutes the Penal Code, including the offences of unauthorised gaming houses and lotteries.
20 Jan 1966
Law 66-012 creates the Tombola Nationale du Niger, the forerunner of LONANI.
15 Feb 1993
Ordinance 93-006 makes the national lottery a public industrial and commercial establishment, LONANI.
22 Mar 1993
Ordinance 93-019 regulates lotteries and raffles and sets the licensing requirements for gaming.
26 Mar 1993
Decree 93-061 subjects lotteries and raffles to the prior approval of the Minister of Finance.
13 Jun 2003
Law 2003-025 amends the Penal Code, including the offence of games of chance in public places.
28 May 2012
Order 213/MF/LONANI/DG sets the rules for LONANI's PMU forecast competitions on horse races.
19 May 2015
LONANI holds its first Loto 5/90 draw.
5 Aug 2019
LONANI sets up a committee to inspect all gaming rooms and slot machines in Niger.
27 Jan 2020
Decree 2020-113 names the Ministry of Finance as AML/CFT supervisor of casinos, gaming establishments and the national lottery.
25 Nov 2021
FATF publishes GIABA's mutual evaluation of Niger, adopted in August 2021, rating due diligence and supervision of casinos and other DNFBPs partially compliant.
18 May 2023
Council of Ministers adopts the decrees re-creating LONANI and approving its statutes (Decree 2023-409).
29 Sept 2023
Order 000411/MEF/LONANI/DG amends the PMU rules on cancelled or split races.
14 Jul 2025
A new General Tax Code is adopted by ordinance, in force from 1 January 2026.
1 Jan 2026
Gaming tax becomes 15% of gross receipts and 35% of the gross margin on LONANI fixed-odds bets (Ordinance 2025-44).
21 Aug 2026
Ordinance 2026-45 amends the 2026 finance law without changing the gaming tax.
Outlook
No bill, decree or consultation on gambling was found. The first amending finance law for 2026 (Ordinance 2026-45 of 21 August 2026) leaves the gaming tax unchanged, and the Council of Ministers conclusions published for 16 July, 21 August and 10 September 2026 contain no gambling measure. The 1993 ordinance and decree that set the licensing regime predate online gambling, and a new General Tax Code took effect on 1 January 2026, so the consolidated gaming tax provisions should be rechecked once the tax authority's site is back online.
Frequently asked questions
- Who regulates gambling in Niger?
- There is no independent regulator. The Ministry of Finance approves casinos, lotteries and gaming establishments under Ordinance 93-019 and Decree 93-061 of 1993, and LONANI, the state lottery attached to the Ministry, holds the gaming monopoly and inspects authorised gaming rooms.
- Can a private operator get an online betting or casino licence in Niger?
- No such licence was found. LONANI states that it holds the monopoly of gaming with money stakes and runs online sports betting itself through Parisfoot. The status of online casino and poker could not be established from the texts available.
- How is gambling taxed from 2026?
- Under General Tax Code articles 418 and 419 as amended by the finance law for 2026, pari-mutuel bets and other games made available to the public pay 15% of gross receipts, and LONANI's fixed-odds bets pay 35% of the gross margin. Businesses paying this tax are exempt from VAT on those receipts.
- What does it take to open a casino or slot machine room?
- The prior approval of the Minister of Finance under Decree 93-061, with a police clearance less than three months old and a gendarmerie or police investigation of the applicant. The GIABA evaluation counted 2 casinos and 54 licensed gaming rooms at the end of 2019.
- Is it an offence to gamble in an unauthorised venue?
- Yes. Penal Code article 356 punishes players in a gaming house open to the public without authorisation with three months to two years and a fine of XOF 5,000 to 100,000, and article 358 penalises players of games of chance on the public highway or in public places.
- Which anti-money laundering rules apply to gambling operators?
- Casinos and gaming establishments, including the national lottery, are reporting businesses under Law 2016-33, with customer due diligence at XOF 1,000,000 for casinos. The Ministry of Finance supervises them under Decree 2020-113.
Sources
- Ordinance No. 2025-44 of 31 December 2025 on the finance law for the 2026 budget year, articles 13 and 16 (General Tax Code articles 322, 418 and 419 as amended)
Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances, Niger (translated)
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 31 Dec 2025 - Ordinance No. 2026-45 of 21 August 2026 on the first amendment of Ordinance No. 2025-44 on the finance law for 2026 (scanned text, tax articles 1 to 12 read)
Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances, Niger (translated)
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 21 Aug 2026 - General Tax Code (code in force before 2026, as published on the Niger eRegulations portal), articles 274 to 284 (tax on lottery receipts and tax on games of chance) and article 720
Niger eRegulations portal (Code général des impôts, République du Niger) (translated)
This is the numbering of the code in force until 31 December 2025. From 1 January 2026 the tax on lotteries and games of chance sits in articles 418 and 419 of the General Tax Code as amended by Ordinance No. 2025-44, with different rates. Used for history only. The official tax authority site (impots.gouv.ne) was under maintenance on 24 September 2026, so the consolidated 2026 code could not be read.
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026 - Penal Code (Law No. 61-27 of 15 July 1961 as amended by Law No. 2003-025 of 13 June 2003, Journal Officiel special issue No. 4 of 7 April 2004), Ministry of Justice edition, articles 356 to 363
Ministère de la Justice, République du Niger (edition hosted by the UNIDIR Cyber Policy Portal) (translated)
No official Nigerien legal portal was reachable (sgg.gouv.ne and justice.gouv.ne did not respond), so the Ministry of Justice edition is read from the UNIDIR copy. Later amendments to other parts of the Penal Code were not checked; articles 356 to 363 are cited as they stand in this edition.
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 7 Apr 2004 - Adoption of draft texts of the Ministry of Finance by the Council of Ministers of 18 May 2023 (items 3 and 4: decrees creating LONANI as a public industrial and commercial establishment and approving its statutes)
Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances, Niger (translated)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 19 May 2023 - Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI): Director General, Colonel Major Soumana Djibo, in post since January 2024
Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances, Niger (translated)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026 - Des services rattachés (services attached to the Ministry of Finance, including LONANI)
Ministère de l'Economie et des Finances, Niger (translated)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026 - Présentation: brief history of LONANI, its mission and activities
Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI) (translated)
The page footer carries unrelated links to offshore online casino brands, apparently injected into the site. They are not LONANI content and are not relied on.
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026 - Communiqué of the Director General of LONANI of 12 October 2023 on Order No. 000411/MEF/LONANI/DG of 29 September 2023 amending Order No. 213/MF/LONANI/DG of 28 May 2012 regulating PMU forecast competitions on horse races
Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI) (translated)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 12 Oct 2023 - Loto Balsa 5/90: rules, stakes and fixed odds
Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI) (translated)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026 - Parisfoot, LONANI online sports betting platform (home page, rendered): registration, fixed-odds football betting, age notice
Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI) (translated)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026 - Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures: Niger, Mutual Evaluation Report (adopted by GIABA in August 2021), paragraphs 70, 304, 352, 353, 421 to 423 and 438, and criteria 22.1 and 28.1
GIABA (Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa), via FATF
Archived copyTier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published Aug 2021 - Niger's progress in strengthening measures to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing: GIABA 4th Enhanced Follow-Up Report and technical compliance re-rating, January 2026
Financial Action Task Force
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 31 Jan 2026 - Communiqués: conclusions of the Council of Ministers of 16 July, 21 August and 10 September 2026 (searched for gambling measures)
Présidence de la République du Niger (translated)
Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026 - Niamey: street "casinos" outdo the licensed establishments (report quoting LONANI's head of commercial services in charge of gaming rooms)
Agence Nigérienne de Presse (ANP) (translated)
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 11 Jan 2023 - Niger: a new General Tax Code adopted (ordinance signed on 14 July 2025, in force on 1 January 2026)
Aïr Info (translated)
Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 15 Jul 2025 - Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring, 19 June 2026 (Niger not listed)
Financial Action Task Force
Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 19 Jun 2026