Industry figures say the current environment reflects both enormous potential <\/strong>and structural uncertainty. Louis Richard Tshimbalanga<\/strong>, a prominent CEO and head of Kinshasa-based igaming consultancy Congoflex Sarl as well as Country Manager for PstBet Congo<\/strong>, notes that while the market\u2019s scale is large, its contours are difficult to quantify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is a mighty river surging with immense wealth<\/strong>, but its banks are so blurred that no one can accurately measure<\/strong> the gold flowing through it,\u201d said Tshimbalanga, according to IGB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the lack of a unified<\/strong> regulator, market activity continues to accelerate<\/strong>. \u201cThe sector is advancing vigorously like a vehicle on autopilot, but without the clear, defined hands of a true regulator at the wheel,\u201d Tshimbalanga added, underscoring how operators currently enjoy significant freedom to innovate <\/strong>and expand services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The scale of the market, combined with limited oversight<\/strong>, has attracted operators eager to establish a foothold in what is increasingly viewed as one of Africa\u2019s most promising online gambling<\/strong> destinations. However, much-publicised reforms<\/strong>, including a new bill and an “alleged centralised monitoring system” for every igaming operation, are still widely viewed as incomplete<\/strong> – or, according to some insiders, effectively non-existent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mobile money <\/strong>platforms such as Mpesa, AirtelMoney, OrangeMoney and AfricellMoney have been central to the market\u2019s growth<\/strong>, enabling nationwide participation and easy access to betting<\/strong> products. Tshimbalanga added: \u201cThis absence of a precise framework creates a unique stage where operators move with significant freedom; not out of defiance, but simply because the rulebook<\/strong> has yet to be definitively written.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lack of formal oversight has also affected tax <\/strong>collection. While the state currently receives only a fraction <\/strong>of potential revenue, operators continue to generate significant returns<\/strong>. A CEO of a prominent operator in the DRC said: \u201cOperators do pay, yes, but they pay whatever suits them. In other words, we effectively pay what benefits<\/strong> us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The CEO highlighted the flexibility<\/strong> that currently defines the market and added: \u201cFor some, seven per cent GGR might be $100<\/strong>, for others, seven per cent might be $100,000<\/strong>; it all depends on the operator\u2019s good faith.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Government efforts to introduce digital<\/strong> betting accounts and tax-withholding mechanisms<\/strong> aim to improve transparency. Another Source said: \u201cIt is even more complicated for the Ministry since it cannot directly target <\/strong>mobile money via operators, which is their main source of income<\/strong>\u201d, reflecting the ongoing operational challenges <\/strong>faced by regulators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tshimbalanga added: \u201cHow can you manage<\/strong> what you can\u2019t even measure? The problem is that the 2020 law still awaits its implementing decree<\/strong> to specify the concrete conditions for data collection and sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nMobile money fuels growth amid regulatory gaps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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