The Republic of Congo is located in west-central Africa, The Republic of Congo is bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola to the east and south respectively, Central Africa and Cameroon to the north, Gabon to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. The gambling industry is growing rapidly, especially sports betting is a popular form of entertainment. Sports betting and Congo bookmakers continue to thrive due to a clear legal framework and the presence of a regulatory body.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
Republic of Congo Gambling Laws
Early Legislation and Legalization
The beginning of legal gambling in Congo-Brazzaville can be tied to the Decree on the Regulation of Lotteries of August 17, 1927. Gambling was not fully legalized in the Republic of the Congo until 1991 though. This legalization was to create enabling environment for the formation of the Congolese Company for the Management of Lotteries (COGELO).
Key legislative milestones:
- 1991: It should be noted that gambling is allowed in Congo-Brazzaville.
- 2011: According to the Ministerial Order No. 041/MJS/CAB/2100/2011 one can find the rates of rights, taxes and royalties.
- 2019: Inter-Ministerial Orders No. 001/CAB/MIN/SL/2019 and No CAB/MIN/FINANCES/2019/133 of the government of Sri Lanka amend the tax and licensing provisions.
Current Regulatory Framework
The Ministry of Finance controls the granting of gambling licenses as well as the control of gambling related activities within the republic of Congo. This entails both the brick and mortar and the cyber forms of gambling businesses.
Regulatory agencies:
- Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Public Portfolio: Is the body that has watch over responsibilities of issuing gambling licenses.
- COGELO: owned by the state and dealing in the national lottery and sports betting.
Congo Bookmakers: Licenses and Charges
In Congo-Brazzaville to work as a bookmaker a company has to obtain a gambling license from the Ministry of Finance. The requirements for obtaining this license include:
- Setting up of a Congolese registered company.
- Filing of the articles of association.
- Thus, one of the most important prerequisites for getting a National Identification Number is to go through a registration process.
- Import & export number.
- Advertisement of formation of company in a legal gazette.
- Tax registration.
- Signing of declaration with the Inspectorate of Labour.
The annual fee for the license is not known, and it is reviewed by the regulatory authorities every now and then.
Gambling taxes in the Republic of the Congo
Through the Republic of Congo gambling is regulated and a special gambling tax is charged on all gambling. This tax is very important in the provision of revenue for the state and the regulation of the gambling ventures.
To the players, gambling winnings tax falls between 20% to 25%; however, details might be different.
Prohibited and Allowed Bets
Legal Forms of Gambling
In Congo-Brazzaville, the following forms of gambling are legal:
- Casino gambling: Comprises of table games as well as slots.
- Poker: It is considered as a type of gambling commonly found in casinos.
- Lottery: Operated by COGELO.
- Bingo: COGELO was also a monopolistic organization in this regard.
- Sports betting: Both physical and online and licensed to private operators as well.
Online Gambling
Online sports betting are not restricted and COGELO does not holds the monopoly in it. The leading licensed digital sportsbook of the country is Paridirect registered under the license number CG-BZV-01-2020-B13-00316. COGELO does not own any online gambling sites, but foreign gambling sites are still accessible for Congo players.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones
The Republic of the Congo has a rich sporting heritage, marked by several notable achievements:
- 1965: The national football team also known as the Red Devils emerged winners in the African Games.
- 1972: Old Trafford side clinched their first African Cup of Nations title in Yaounde, Cameroon.
- 2004: Held the African championships in Athletics in the Alphonse Massamba Debat Stadium.
- 2019: Further achieved to win the gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the African Games.
Conclusion
The current status of Congo bookmakers and the sports betting business can be attributed to the legalization of the industry back in 1991. As the regulatory environment is continuously developed and there is high interest from the domestic and foreign investors the outlook is bright for this industry.
FAQ of Congo Bookmakers
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