Burkina Faso is located in the upper region of the Volta River, a western African nation, with Benin and Niger to the east, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo to the south, and Mali to the west and North. Over the past few years, the country has especially developed the legal framework and the scope of gambling business, especially focusing on sports betting. This paper aims at providing detailed information on the history, the legal background, and the situation of Burkina Faso bookmakers and sports betting.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
History Of Gambling Laws In Burkina Faso
- 1967: It starts with the establishment of the National Voltaic Lottery also known as LONAVO. Created by the ordinance No. 67025/PRES/MFC dated 4 th of May 1967, LONAVO laid down the structure for state-run gambling.
- 1984: LONAVO became The Burkinabe National Lottery (LONAB) by virtue of the Order No. 8443/CNR/PRES of August 2nd, 1984.
- 2008: The regulation of gambling in Burkina Faso was last revised in 2008 when the parliament passed Loi n° 028-2008-AN on the 13th of May 2008 commonly referred to as the 2008 Gambling Act. This law is still considered as the foundation of the legal system of the country in relation to gambling.
- 2014: The opening of casinos and slot halls, which was accompanied by the legalization of their activities and the possibility of the entries of private companies. It was introduced the Law 347/PRES/PM/MEF/MATS, also known as the Regulation of Slot Machines Act.
- 2018: The Central Bank of West African States declared that virtual currencies are not admitted in the BCEAO zone, which means that the bitcoin gambling is banned in Burkina Faso by default.
An Analysis of the Legal Environment
Gambling was legalized in Burkina Faso even before the country obtained its independence from France in the year 1960. The current Gambling Act of the year 2008 is the main regulating piece of legislation for gambling activities. Lotteries and almost all other types of gambling are controlled by the state through the Lotérie National Burkinabé (LONAB).
Regulatory Body: The following is a brief outline of the Burkinabe Gaming and Betting Control Commission: (GBCC).
The regulatory body in charge of managing the gambling and betting activities, the GBCC, is under the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Security. It regulates all forms of gambling and ensures that all the activities carried out by the stakeholders are legal and fair.
Online Gambling
The legalized regulation of online gambling is still an issue in Burkina Faso till the present time. Unfortunately, there is no specific regulation of the online gambling in the 2008 Gambling Act and no licenses for the internet gambling are provided. Hence, while the law actually outlaws online gambling, it is not being implemented; meaning Burkina Faso players are allowed to gamble online.
Burkina Faso Bookmakers Licensing and Fees
The Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministère de l’Économie, des Finances et du Développement) is an authority that regulates gambling and provides licenses to the gambling establishments. Available licenses for private companies include:
- Casino License: Five million CFA that is about seven hundred and sixty US dollars or eight hundred US dollars.
- Slot Hall License: One million CFA (approximately €1500, $1700).
Licenses are valid for five years and require applicants to:
Be a company that is legally formed in Burkina Faso.
- Show proofs of the required capital
- Make sure that owners, shareholders and, in particular, key employees do not have serious criminal records.
- Pay the license fee
- Prepare a development plan which shows the effect on the municipality and the employment forecasts.
Taxation
Burkina Faso tax on gambling revenues is set at 15 percent of the gross gambling revenue. However, the national lottery is an exception to this because it does not attract the above stated tax. Gambling taxes are paid together with other taxes, for example corporate taxes, which now are 27 percent. 5%. Specifically, gambling winnings are exempted from taxation for the players.
Online Betting on Burkina Faso Sports Events
Sports betting is allowed and legally accepted in the country and it is not against the law. Key points include:
- Currently, there is no legislation against online sports betting; therefore, the foreign bookmakers are legally allowed to conduct their business.
- The regulation is centered on the land-based casinos, and there are no clear procedures of issuing licenses to the online gaming sites.
- Licensed betting services can only be provided by foreign companies that have registered a local company entity.
- It is legal for the government to instruct ISPs to block access to unlicensed gambling websites but the practice is not often done.
- The taxes are charged on the gross gaming revenue of the operators at a 15% rate and the enforcement is mostly towards the land based ones.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones
Burkina Faso has surprised the world with some good performance in football and cycling among other sports. Here are some key milestones:
- 1998: They was a host nation for the Africa Cup of Nations and got to the semi-finals.
- 2003: The national football team got through to the FIFA World Youth Championship in the UAE.
- 2005: The cycling race known as the Tour du Faso is an annual race that was included into the UCI Africa Tour.
- 2008: Basketball team of Burkina Faso became the winner of the African Basketball Championship.
- 2017: Hugues Fabrice Zango was crowned the champions in the World Championships in the triple jump event.
Conclusion
Thus, the current situation with the gambling business in Burkina Faso presents both certain difficulties and possibilities. This means that although online gambling is not regulated in the country, the legal structure of land-based gambling is well developed and can become a good basis for further development. In the future when Burkina Faso will expand its gambling business, it will be helpful to comprehend these laws and regulations for those who are interested in the development of this sector.
FAQ of Burkina Faso Bookmakers
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