Burundi, a country located in East Africa, Neighboring countries include Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west and Lake Tanganyika to the southwest. In this article, we zoom in on the Burundi bookmakers and sports betting and look at the country’s gambling legal framework, licensing bodies, allowed and prohibited bets, licensing structure and costs, taxation and key sporting events in the Burundi.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
Burundi’s Gambling Laws and Legislation
The legal framework concerning gambling in Burundi is based on historical and modern laws which define the current position of the state regarding betting activities.
- Background and Laws Regulation
- 1962: This being a former French dominated nation, the laws that regulate gambling in Burundi are French colonial laws and some forms of gambling are legal.
- 2001: This came in the wake of legalising of the casino gambling which saw the formation of Lydia ludic, a joint venture between LONA and Grupo Pefaco. Lydia Ludic entered the Burundi market in slot halls.
- 2008: The Penal Code of Burundi came into force, under which lottery, Bingo, Poker and sports betting are prohibited.
- 2015: The government laid down plans to expand the operations of the State Lottery – Loterie Nationale du Burundi – to cover sports betting.
- 2019: All the online lotto sites were outlawed, this strengthened the monopoly that LONA has over the lotteries business.
Regulatory bodies and the guidelines on licensing
Even though the 2008 Penal Code provides a rather negative attitude towards gambling, there are some certain types of gambling activities that are allowed.
Lotteries Board of the Republic of Burundi (LONA)
Some of Kenya’s lotteries are administered by LONA which also has a share holding in the Lydia Ludic Casino. It also sometimes regulates against the unauthorized casinos.
Licensing and Fees
Licensing Authority: The Ministry of Finance regulates the gambling activities by providing gambling licenses.
- License Cost: About $50 000, the grant is effective for 15 years.
Gambling Taxes and Revenue
The government of Burundi has implemented gambling taxes on the licensed operators since they act as the main source of government income.
Tax Rates
- Gambling Tax: This ranges from 2 to 5 per cent of the gross gaming revenues.
- Corporate Tax: 30%.
The taxes payable for gambling winnings for players, however, are yet unknown, but the operators are required to pay these taxes together with the normal corporate taxes.
Sports Betting in Burundi Bookmakers
In 2015 Burundi planned to liberalise the country’s gambling market and allow sports betting however the monopoly was given to LONA.
The Legal and the Illegal Betting Activities
Legal Activities
- Lottery: Administered by LONA only.
- Casino Gambling: Lydia Ludic is engaged in the business of running slot halls and video poker machines in Bujumbura.
- Sports Betting: Some were planned to be dominated by LONA but they are not yet fully operational at the time of this writing.
Illegal Activities
- Online Gambling: Although the local online gambling is prohibited, people still can use the international gambling sites without violating the law.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones
Burundi has a rich history of sporting achievements:
- 1996: Vénuste Niyongabo gets Burundi’s first Olympic gold medal in 5,000 meters at the Atlanta Games.
- 2015: Currently, Burundi has emerged the winner of the gold medals for the men and women’s basketball at the African Games.
- 2016: The second winner of the night is Francine Niyonsaba, winning the silver medal in the 800m race in Rio Olympics.
- 2016: Jean Claude Niyomugabo gets the gold medals in men’s 100m and 200m categories during the Paralympic Games.
- 2017: Christine Niyonsaba gets silver in the 800m at the World Championships.
Conclusion
Thus it can be concluded, that despite the rather prohibitive legal framework of gambling in Burundi, the state still permits some types of gambling with certain conditions. For those people who would like to try their luck in sports betting and other forms of gambling, it is very crucial to know the law and rules and regulations governing the activities. Nevertheless, the possibility of development and having fun in the sphere of Burundi bookmakers and sports betting is still quite high.
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