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

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