Sudan is a country that is part of both the Sub-Saharan Africa. Sudan, has one of the richest histories, has not been very favorable on gambling especially on the Sudan bookmakers and sports betting. In this article, the reader will find the detailed analysis of the current legislation concerning Sudan bookmakers, the evolution of gambling laws, the current legal framework, forbidden and allowed types of bets, the licensing process, taxes, and Sudan’s sports betting market.
Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
History of Sudanese Gambling Laws
whilst gambling had been unlawful in Sudan for a long time. The Sudan is a country in northeast Africa that became an independent state in 1956, and to this day it adheres to rather severe gambling laws grounded in Islamic law. The Criminal Law Act of 1991 followed to strengthen prohibition of the activities, making all forms of gambling, including online gambling, prohibited.
Key Historical Events:
- 1956: Gained its independence from the UK; Gambling is still prohibited in this country.
- 1991: Introducing the Criminal Law Act largely based on the Shariah law to strengthen the ban on gambling activities.
- 2020: Sudanese state declared itself secular and banned some of the Islamic laws and practices including flogging and amputation, but retained the source of legislation in Islam.
Current Gambling Legislation
Gambling is prohibited in Sudan as per the provision of the Criminal Law Act passed in the year 1991. According to the penal code particularly article 80, it stated that ‘Gambling or running a place for gambling is punishable by imprisonment for one year’; however, the law was amended in 2020 to exclude traditional Islamic punishments including flogging. Still, the ban on gambling is robust, with the Islamic religion considering gambling as haram (forbidden) because the devil’s work and diverts people’s attention from God.
Online Gambling
Gambling is strictly prohibited and made unlawful in the Sudanese territory hence, online gambling is not allowed. Nonetheless, the prohibition of this activity is rather weak, and Sudanese players who participate in online betting do not face legal consequences most of the time. This leads to rather a tricky situation where online gambling is in a state of legal ambiguity.
Regulatory Agencies
Because gambling is prohibited, there are no authorities and regulation bodies that oversee the operations of bookmakers or gambling in Sudan. This absence of regulation is not only in the form of online betting, but in all forms of betting including Sudan sports betting and possibly Sudan bookmakers.
Prohibited and Allowed Bets
Sports betting is considered as one of the types of gambling and is strictly prohibited in Sudan. The ban applies to the types of gambling, including the casino games, lotteries and internet betting. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no specific exemptions or authorised bets under the existing legal regime.
Gambling Licenses
Gambling is prohibited and as such there are no gambling licenses in Sudan. There are no legal procedures to obtain a license to conduct any form of gambling business since there is no framework for regulation of the sector.
License Types and Fees
Since there are no gambling licenses issued there are no fees related to the licenses or the types of licenses. This legal position puts Sudan in sharp contrast to some of the other African countries that have started to draft and implement laws on the different aspects of the gambling business in order to tap into the income streams.
Gambling Taxation
Thus, there is currently no special regulation of gambling taxation in Sudan, as the operation of gambling is prohibited throughout the country. Thus, there are no taxes on the gambling earnings or the gambling revenues.
Taxation of Gambling Winnings
Gambling is not legal hence there is no way through which one can be charged tax on the winnings he or she has made from betting. This also involves any possible income from Sudan sports betting or any other related gambling.
Sports Betting and Sudan Bookmakers
On Sudan’s part despite the strict legal stance there is always interest in sports in the country. Football remains one of the most popular games, other games and activities include athletics, basketball, handball, and volleyball. Sudan is a nation with a rich football history being one of the early members of the African Football Federation and has hosted the African Cup of Nations in 1956.
Notable Achievements in Sudanese Sports:
- 1956: Sudan was the host of African Cup of Nations.
- 1970: Sudan became the champion of African Cup of Nations.
- 2000: Ismail Ahmed Ismail, a middle distance athlete, had emerged champion in the 800m event at the Sydney Olympic Games.
- 2004: Ahmed Akram got the bronze medal in the 200m freestyle event at the Athens Olympics.
- 2008: Abubaker Kaki is the gold medalist in the 1500m event at Beijing Olympics.
Potential Future Developments
The economy and politics of Sudan are not very stable, which opens the possibilities of potential future changes in the legislation regulation of gambling. The country is currently under the rule of conservative Islam and civil wars and economic instabilities could lead to a more practical approach to gambling in the future.
Conclusion
The laws on gambling in Sudan are very rigorous due to the Islamic culture in the country which does not allow Sudan sports betting and other related activities involving Sudan bookmakers. Despite the fact that there is no logo of the regulatory agencies, gambling licenses, and taxations in the country, the people still love sports and especially football. Gambling in Sudan has a rather ambiguous future since the country is still struggling with various economic and political issues.
FAQ of Sudan Bookmakers
Related content