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Sovereign state
Africa
ISO NE

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).

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

  1. 15 Jul 1961

    Law 61-27 institutes the Penal Code, including the offences of unauthorised gaming houses and lotteries.

  2. 20 Jan 1966

    Law 66-012 creates the Tombola Nationale du Niger, the forerunner of LONANI.

  3. 15 Feb 1993

    Ordinance 93-006 makes the national lottery a public industrial and commercial establishment, LONANI.

  4. 22 Mar 1993

    Ordinance 93-019 regulates lotteries and raffles and sets the licensing requirements for gaming.

  5. 26 Mar 1993

    Decree 93-061 subjects lotteries and raffles to the prior approval of the Minister of Finance.

  6. 13 Jun 2003

    Law 2003-025 amends the Penal Code, including the offence of games of chance in public places.

  7. 28 May 2012

    Order 213/MF/LONANI/DG sets the rules for LONANI's PMU forecast competitions on horse races.

  8. 19 May 2015

    LONANI holds its first Loto 5/90 draw.

  9. 5 Aug 2019

    LONANI sets up a committee to inspect all gaming rooms and slot machines in Niger.

  10. 27 Jan 2020

    Decree 2020-113 names the Ministry of Finance as AML/CFT supervisor of casinos, gaming establishments and the national lottery.

  11. 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.

  12. 18 May 2023

    Council of Ministers adopts the decrees re-creating LONANI and approving its statutes (Decree 2023-409).

  13. 29 Sept 2023

    Order 000411/MEF/LONANI/DG amends the PMU rules on cancelled or split races.

  14. 14 Jul 2025

    A new General Tax Code is adopted by ordinance, in force from 1 January 2026.

  15. 1 Jan 2026

    Gaming tax becomes 15% of gross receipts and 35% of the gross margin on LONANI fixed-odds bets (Ordinance 2025-44).

  16. 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

  1. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 31 Dec 2025
  2. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 21 Aug 2026
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Loto Balsa 5/90: rules, stakes and fixed odds

    Loterie Nationale du Niger (LONANI) (translated)

    Tier 2Accessed 24 Sept 2026
  9. Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 11 Jan 2023
  10. Tier 3Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 15 Jul 2025
  11. Tier 1Accessed 24 Sept 2026Published 19 Jun 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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