Sierra Leone is situated in the west part of Africa and shares its borders with Guinea to the north and to the east, Liberia in the southeast and south west bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. However, this is not the only thing that makes Sierra Leone interesting; it is also the developing environment of its gambling sphere. This country has a rather interesting story with the legislation of gambling, especially when it comes to Sierra Leone bookmakers and sports betting.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
History of Gambling Law and Legislation
Pre-Independence Period
- 1959: The history of gambling in Sierra Leone can be said to have started way before the country achieved its independence. The Lotteries Ordinance that was passed in the year 1959 legalized gambling and paved way for other future legislations.
Post-Independence Period
- 1961: Sierra Leone got independence from the UK. Subsequently, British gambling laws did not not cover the country.
- 1969: The Control of Betting and Lotteries Act was passed thus becoming the only Act that regulates gambling in Sierra Leone. This Act replaced the 1959 Lotteries Ordinance and remains as the main law on gambling activities to this date.
Licenses of Sierra Leone Bookmakers
The licensing body responsible for gambling in Sierra Leone is the National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone. Regrettably, information on the specific licensing procedures, costs, and criteria cannot be easily found on the Internet. Regarding any further information, you have to contact the National Tourist Board.
Gambling Taxes
Current gambling tax rates in Sierra Leone are enshrised in the Control of Betting and Lotteries Act of 1969 with amendments in the Finance Act of 2017. The current tax rates are as follows:
- Gambling tax: A percentage of the gross gaming revenue, which is 20% is the most common one.
- Lottery tax: 1/5 of the GGR
- Betting tax: That is, 20 percent of the gross gaming revenue.
- Royalty tax: 0. This way it is proposed to introduce a tax of 25% of the gross revenue, which must be paid by all gambling companies.
These taxes are equally in addition to the normal corporate taxes which are at 30 percent. For the players, the gambling winnings are subject to a tax rate of 20 percent but this is payable by the companies hence the players do not have to pay any other taxes on their winnings.
Legal and Prohibited Bets
Gambling is legal in Sierra Leone and anyone above the age of 18 is allowed to participate in the act of gambling. The forms of gambling that are known to be legal include:
Casino gambling (including poker)
- Lottery and other similar activities (including bingo, provided by Sierra Leone State Lottery)
- Betting, and especially on sports (Sierra Leone State Lottery has a monopoly on this)
Online Gambling
Most forms of online gambling are not legal in Sierra Leone, with the legal situation of the activity being rather vague. The only exemption is sports betting through the internet which is a Mercury International’s dominion. This company is registered and has a license from the Ministry of Finance and is the only legal online bookmaker in Sierra Leone started its work in 2007.
However, the sector seems to be somewhat less regulated in relation to other African countries despite such forms of legal gambling. It should be mentioned that games of chance have been legal since 1959, however, the information about the gambling sector in the internet is scarce and mostly unreliable.
Bookmakers and Sports Betting
Different Kinds of Licenses and Payment
Unfortunately, the data on the kinds of gambling licenses, conditions, and costs is not available in public domain. For such specific information, the interested persons should make a direct application to the National Tourist Board.
The major companies in the market are:
- Sierra Leone State Lottery: Manages and runs the national lottery of the specific country.
- Mercury International: Grewal group is the biggest gambling service provider in the country and it got its license in the year 2006 for 5/90 lottery along with the sports betting and online lottery and betting facilities.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones
- 1996: The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone are the national football team that emerged champions of the African Nations Cup.
- 2004: The Leone Stars of Sierra Leone got to the quarter final stage of the African Cup of Nations.
- 2012: In the men’s 4x400m relay event at the African Championships the team from Sierra Leone got a gold medal.
- 2014: Leone Stars emerged winners in the African Basketball Championship.
- 2016: Charles S. Kamara of the Sierra Leone State Lottery suggested the creation of the national board which has not been done to this date.
Conclusion
The current situations of gambling, particularly about Sierra Leone bookmakers and sports betting, is filled with opportunities but undeveloped and even uncontrolled. Although there are some laws and certain defined structure by the National Tourist Board and Ministry of Finance, there is still much of a grey area. The economic effects of gambling cannot be ignored since taxes go to the national revenue; however, better regulation will produce even more results.
FAQ about Sierra Leone Bookmakers
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