Niger Bookmakers

Niger, located in West Africa, and occupying the southern part of the Sahara Desert, it has a history of practicing some traditional games like horse riding, camel riding, and sorro wrestling. Although the population of this country is predominantly Muslim, with over 80% being followers of Islam, The gambling business in Niger, rather limited and not very advanced, Including Niger Bookmakers and sports betting. This paper aims at examining the laws, the history and the current situation of bookmakers and sports betting in Niger.

Niger Bookmakers

1960: Independence from France.

1966: Creation of the National Lottery known as LONANI.

1993: Legalization of gambling with Industriel et Commercial by the order no. 93-06 of February 15th, 1993.

2010: Legalization of online gambling with the help of law Loi du 12 mai 2010.

2019: A single casino has been reported to be operational in Niamey according to H2 Gambling Capital.

Key Milestones in Niger’s Gambling Legislation:

  • 1960: Niger becomes an independent state and achieves its sovereignty from France.
  • 1966: LONANI or the National Lottery is governed by the Loterie Nationale du Niger as provided for by Law No 66-12 of 20th January 1966.
  • 1993: Legalization of gambling after the act Industriel et Commercial through the order No 93-06 of 15th February 1993.
  • 2010: Online gambling is legalised with the passing of Loi du 12 mai 2010.

State of the Gambling Sector

  • Casinos: Niger have only one casino in the land based in Niamey and is found at Hotel Gaweye.
  • National Lottery: It controls the national lottery with offices in Niamey, Maradi, Tahoua, Dosso, Zinder and Agadez.
  • Online Gambling: Even though legal, there are no specific laws against online gambling and no online gambling websites based in Niger are licensed.

Regulatory Agencies and Licenses

LONANI the Niger National Lottery controls all types of gambling in the country since the year 1993, however, it does not include casinos or slot halls. The Ministry of Finance controls the development of the sector through licensing and enforcing the laws.

  • Licensing: The gambling licenses in Niger are granted by LONANI. These are the types of licenses that are charged with certain fees and levies which are set depending on the specific case.
  • Taxation: Licensing fees are also fixed for gambling businesses in Niger and there are other taxes that include the corporate tax rate of 30%.

Prohibited and Allowed Bets:

Although gambling is legal in the country, due to Islamic culture people are advised not to engage in gambling activities. Nevertheless, there are no clearly marked laws prohibiting gambling activities, thus, people are free to indulge in the activity.

Sports Betting for Niger Bookmakers

This is legal and the government is involved in the regulation of sports betting, whereby football is the most favored sport for betting, followed by rugby. Many outlets for sports betting can be found in Niamey. Their number of officially licensed ones is not known but what is known is that they are regulated by the government.

Sporting Event Glory Milestones

Niger boasts a proud history of sports achievements, with several athletes and teams making their mark internationally:

  • Football: The national team also known as the Menas made it to the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 2012.
  • Rugby: Niger National Rugby Union Team came second in the 2006 Car Castel Beer Trophy held in Tanzania.
  • Athletics: Hassane Fofana is the champion in 100m and 200m at the African Championships in the years 2011 and 2012.
  • Wrestling: Djibo Issaka is a wrestler who got the Olympic gold in the discipline of Greco-Roman wrestling at Beijing Olympic which was held in the year 2008.
  • Basketball: The national basketball team was crowned the FIBA Africa Championship in the year 2011.
  • Handball: The national handball team clinched the African Championship in 2012 to emerged the champion.

Folk and Modern Sports in Niger

Despite the modern sports gaining popularity, traditional sports remain deeply entrenched in Nigerien culture:

  • Horse Racing
  • Camel Racing
  • Sorro Wrestling

Notable Athletes:

  • Mahamadou Diarra: Ex soccer player of Real Madrid and was awarded as the African football player of the year in the year 2005.
  • Ismael Bangoura: Mexican professional Boxer who claimed the WBA Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title in the year 2011.
  • Issaka Dabore: He is a professional wrestler and an African wrestling champion for the year 2011.
  • Djibril Cisse: Ex soccer player for Liverpool and the French national team, won the African footballer of the year in the year 2004.
  • Hawa Diallo: Kenyan professional sprinter, winner at the African championships for athletics in the year 2011.
  • Aminatou Seyni: An NBA player and a winner of the African Basketball Championship in the year 2012.

Conclusion

Thus, the gambling industry in Niger can be characterized as quite promising although not very diverse, with its main focus on sports betting. The traditional and versatile cultural system of sports accompanied with advanced betting services makes Niger a lucrative market for the bookmakers as well as the sports bettors.

FAQ of Niger Bookmakers

Africa Bookmakers

Somalia Bookmakers

Somalia Bookmakers

Gambling has remained a contentious and highly prohibited activity in Somalia mainly because of the country’s religious and cultural beliefs. Since the population of Kuwait is mainly composed of Sunni Muslims, the views on gambling, including sports betting, are rather ... Read More about Somalia Bookmakers
Liberia Bookmakers

Liberia Bookmakers

Liberia is situated in Western Africa and has a neighbor countries such as Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and the Atlantic Ocean has been engaged in the provision of gambling services since 1982. Over the years, there have been some ... Read More about Liberia Bookmakers
South Sudan Bookmakers

South Sudan Bookmakers

South Sudan is located in northeast Africa, and is a new nation state that was born on the 9th of July, 2011 from the results of the Sudan Referandum. Most of the traditional games in South Sudan have been wars ... Read More about South Sudan Bookmakers
Eritrea Bookmakers

Eritrea Bookmakers

Situated in northeastern Africa and sharing its borders with Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and the Red Sea, Some forms of gambling are also legal though they are not regulated by the government. This comprehensive guide will cover the present status of ... Read More about Eritrea Bookmakers
Kenya Bookmakers

Kenya Bookmakers

Kenya is located on the equator in eastern Africa, with the East African Rift Valley running through it from north to south. It borders Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, Ethiopia and South Sudan ... Read More about Kenya Bookmakers
Zambia Bookmakers

Zambia Bookmakers

Zambia is located in the southern part of the African continent and it is a land locked country sharing its borders with Tanzania in the North East, Malawi in the East, Mozambique in the South East, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia ... Read More about Zambia Bookmakers
Ethiopia Bookmakers

Ethiopia Bookmakers

Ethiopia is located in northeastern Africa, bordering Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Sudan and South Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, and Eritrea to the north. It is also a nation where the handling of gambling specifically ... Read More about Ethiopia Bookmakers
Ghana Bookmakers

Ghana Bookmakers

Ghana, a West African country situated on the northern part of the Gulf of Guinea and attained its independence in 1960. Since the inception of gambling industry especially Ghana bookmakers and Ghana sports betting, Ghana’s legislation and regulatory frameworks have ... Read More about Ghana Bookmakers
Burundi Bookmakers

Burundi Bookmakers

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 ... Read More about Burundi Bookmakers
Western Sahara Bookmakers

Western Sahara Bookmakers

Western Sahara is a disputed territory located in northwest Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it borders Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria and has a developing gambling and sports betting environment. This article aims to provide a detailed analysis of the Western ... Read More about Western Sahara Bookmakers
Scroll to Top