Burundi accelerates 2035 plan as LONA transforms into sole gambling regulator
National Lottery partners with NSoft to deploy a national Gambling Management System, phase out commercial operations and strengthen oversight ahead of 2035 regulatory transformation.
Burundi.- Burundi is accelerating its 2035 plan as the National Lottery of Burundi (LONA) begins its transition into the country’s sole gambling regulator.
Working with technology firm NSoft, the agency is rolling out a phased modernisation strategy, deploying a national Gambling Management System (GMS), expanding digital oversight and building strategic regional partnerships to enhance transparency and strengthen control across the country’s gambling sector.
Central to the overhaul is the partnership with NSoft to implement the GMS. The system will monitor lotteries, sports betting, horse racing and online platforms, with plans to include casino operations in the next phase. Designed to improve transparency, ensure accurate revenue reporting and strengthen compliance enforcement, the GMS is a cornerstone of LONA’s modernisation.
LONA said, according to African Media Agency: “The implementation of NSoft’s technological governance solutions to oversee the gambling sector in Burundi is a key step in our revenue-mobilisation strategy and in the restoration of our digital sovereignty. We are confident that we can now achieve our objectives.”
As part of this transformation, LONA is systematically phasing out commercial operations, including scratch tickets and gaming venues, letting existing concession contracts run their course. The agency will now focus on regulating existing gambling businesses and, under its future framework, licensing selected operators to ensure compliance and safeguard integrity across the sector.
LONA added: “The agency is set to transform into a Gambling Regulatory Agency, aiming to bring greater transparency and security to the country’s gambling sector.”
Fraud prevention and regulatory measures
The Ministry of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security emphasised that tackling fraudulent gambling activities remains central to the restructuring. Industry specialists highlight LONA’s comprehensive regulatory measures as a potential model for other African nations seeking to grow the gambling sector responsibly.
Burundi’s gambling sector operates under the 2008 Penal Code, which prohibits most forms of gambling. LONA functions under a government-sanctioned exception, overseeing authorised lotteries, online platforms and licensed operators.
Beyond national reforms, Burundi is collaborating with the Democratic Republic of Congo to modernise gambling oversight. The partnership focuses on knowledge exchange, regulatory harmonisation and enhanced transparency, supporting cooperation on oversight and regulation across borders.
As 2035 approaches, LONA’s transformation is no longer just a policy goal; the agency is actively implementing measures to ensure a transparent, technologically advanced and regionally aligned gambling sector by the mid-2030s.
