Madagascar is one of the island countries in the Indian Ocean that is endowed with a fascinating culture and rapidly developing gambling industry. Although the country is comparatively small in size, it has established a proper structure for Madagascar bookmakers and sports betting, thus becoming one of the key players in the African market. This article focuses on the background, legislation, regulating bodies, permits, taxation, and the main events of the Madagascar-based bookmakers and sports betting industry.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
Gambling Laws in Madagascar
The process of the legalisation of gambling in Madagascar was initiated in 1971 by means of Law No. 71-011, which defined the conditions for the functioning of gambling houses and provided the regulations on taxation. Here’s a historical timeline to understand the progression:
Key Legislative Milestones
- 1971: The legalization of gambling was done through the enactment of law no 71-011 which provided for the legal gambling houses and the tax structures to be applied.
- 1994: Legalization of the sports betting was done through Decree No. 763/94 with the operation being under the Société d’Exploitation des Loteries.
- 2011: The Malagasy Lottery worked with GTECH in the provision of online lottery tickets which legalized online gambling by the book.
- 2016-2017: New casino and online casino licenses were banned at some point and the ban was lifted in 2017.
- 2018: Legalization of online sports betting was done through the Decree No. 7974/2018.
- 2020: The government began the procedure of the amendment of the existing outdated gambling regulation.
Regulatory Agencies
The Ministry of Interior and Decentralization has the mandate of overseeing the gambling business in Madagascar. They provide casino licenses; however, the betting licenses are issued by the Société d’Exploitation des Loteries.
Types of Gambling Licenses
Currently, Madagascar offers licenses for physical gambling venues and state-backed lotteries:
- Casino Licenses: It is published by the Ministry of interior.
- Betting Licenses: Operated by Societe d’Exploitation des Loteries is the management body of the lottery.
Prohibited and Allowed Bets
The act does not contain a black list of the forbidden bets, however, it provides that only the licensed land-based bookmakers are allowed to offer the online gambling services. This means:
- Allowed: Those include sports betting, casino games played in the physical based gambling facilities, and online lotteries.
- Prohibited: In particular, online casinos cannot get a gambling license to operate legally, thus, there are no licensed online casinos in Madagascar.
Licensing Fees of Madagascar Bookmakers
The amounts that are required to be paid for the gambling license in Madagascar are still rather high due to the outdated legislation of the country. According to Article 8 of Law No. 71-011:
- Daily Entry: Five hundred Malagasy Francs (FMG) (An example of Malagasy currency).
- Weekly Entry: 2,000 FMG
- Monthly Entry: 6,000 FMG
- Yearly Entry: 25,000 FMG
These fees are converted using 2022 values to Malagasy Ariary:
- Daily Entry: 100 Malagasy Ariary which is equal to €0. 024 only.
- Weekly Entry: 400 Malagasy Ariary (€0. 09).
- Monthly Entry: 1,200 Malagasy Ariary (€0. 28)
- Yearly Entry: Five thousand Malagasy Ariary (€1. 18)
Taxation on Gambling
Madagascar’s outdated gambling legislation also impacts the tax rates, which are exceptionally low by global standards:
- Slot Machines: $400,000 Malagasy Ariary per year or €94. 35 per device per year.
- Other Devices: € 23. 59 or 100 000 Malagasy Ariary per device per year.
Standard corporate tax rates are at 23% and the above mentioned taxes are in addition to these.
Sports Betting in Madagascar
Madagascar is no exception when it comes to growth of sports betting, this has been accelerated by the legalization of the activity in 2018. The most recognizable of the online sports betting license is owned by PMU through their Bet261 site. While there are no particular bans on the access to the international services, Bet261 is the only licensed online betting site in the country.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones
Madagascar has a rich history in various sports, and here are some notable milestones:
- 1972: Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa claimed the gold in 800m during the Munich Olympics.
- 1992: Jean-Claude Rakotomavo won the 200m butterfly bronze at the Barcelona Olympics.
- 1996: Jean-Claude Randriamihaja won a bronze medal in judo at the Olympic games held in Atlanta.
- 2004: Pascal Razakanantenaina is the winner of the African Cup of Nations.
- 2023: Malagasy is to welcome the Indian Ocean Games.
Conclusion
The Malagasy gambling market has a long way to go since the inception of legal gambling in 1971. Due to the strong legal system, an extensive list of gambling products, including sports betting, the country provides many ways for HNWIs and gamblers. Looking at the current trends in the development of Madagascar’s gambling laws, there is a lot of promise for both the bookmakers and the players.
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