{"id":19633,"date":"2026-03-06T06:54:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T09:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/?p=19633"},"modified":"2026-04-19T08:04:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T11:04:47","slug":"gabon-opens-doors-to-private-operators-as-national-lottery-launches-licensing-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/gabon-opens-doors-to-private-operators-as-national-lottery-launches-licensing-reform","title":{"rendered":"Gabon opens doors to private operators as National Lottery launches licensing upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Gabonese National Lottery (GDJ) invites companies to apply under a new state-supervised licensing framework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Gabon.- The <strong>Gabonese National Lottery<\/strong> (GDJ) has launched a <strong>call for expressions of interest<\/strong> (EOI), inviting companies to apply to operate gaming activities under a new state-supervised <strong>licensing framework<\/strong>, part of broader reforms to modernise Gabon\u2019s gambling sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the updated framework, all previous <strong>authorisations, licences<\/strong> and declarations will become invalid three months after April 7, 2026. All old gambling licences expire on July 7, 2026, and operators must apply for <strong>new licences<\/strong> under the GDJ\u2019s new system to continue operating <strong>legally<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Authorities say the measure is designed to create a more structured and <strong>transparent <\/strong>environment while eliminating irregular practices that have historically affected the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative signals a <strong>fresh opportunity<\/strong> for qualified companies to participate in the country\u2019s evolving <strong>gambling market<\/strong>, as authorities work to strengthen regulation while encouraging credible <strong>industry operators<\/strong> to enter a more structured environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement was issued in a communiqu\u00e9 signed by <strong>Rom\u00e9o Ondo<\/strong>, Director\u2011General of the GDJ, the state concessionaire for <strong>public games<\/strong> of entertainment, money and chance, according to Gabon Newsroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the <strong>new structure<\/strong>, private companies will be able to operate gaming activities by obtaining licences issued under the <strong>supervision<\/strong> and control of the public lottery company, with the stated goal of modernising the sector and better protecting the interests of both the <strong>state and players<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The call for expressions of interest represents the <strong>first stage<\/strong> of the selection process, allowing companies to submit <strong>proposals <\/strong>outlining their technical expertise, financial capacity and <strong>operational capabilities<\/strong> before moving forward in the licensing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The move follows <strong>ordinances<\/strong> adopted on December 30, 2025, which overhauled Gabon\u2019s legal framework governing games of chance in order to align the sector with current economic realities and <strong>international <\/strong>regulatory standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Industry applauds GDJ process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Industry <strong>participants <\/strong>have welcomed the shift towards clearer oversight. Anita Moussavou, a senior executive with one of the companies in the sector, highlighted that the GDJ is emphasising a \u201ctransparent, <strong>fair and rigorous<\/strong> selection process\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Operators selected under the new framework will be required to comply with <strong>national regulations<\/strong> covering responsible gambling, protection of minors, <strong>anti-money-laundering<\/strong> safeguards, counter-terrorism financing measures and operational security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond regulatory compliance, the GDJ says it is seeking partners with strong <strong>technical, financial and organisational capabilities<\/strong>, whose projects align with the state\u2019s strategic priorities in economic development, social responsibility and national sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Companies interested in participating in the <strong>process<\/strong> have the opportunity to request additional information and attend scheduled <strong>information <\/strong>sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative marks a significant step in Gabon\u2019s efforts to build a more structured and <strong>sustainable <\/strong>gaming industry, opening the door for credible operators while strengthening <strong>oversight<\/strong> of a market long influenced by informal activity.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"see-also-container\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label\">See also:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-article\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"related-article__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/onlinecasino-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"related-article__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label-strong\">See also:<\/span> <a href='https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/botswana-gambling-authority-tightens-oversight-of-online-betting-amid-consumer-complaints'>Botswana Gambling Authority tightens oversight of online betting amid consumer complaints<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Gabonese National Lottery (GDJ) invites companies to apply under a new state-supervised licensing framework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2809,"featured_media":19637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":false,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"The Gabonese National Lottery (GDJ) has launched a call for expressions of interest for a new state-supervised licensing framework, aiming to modernize Gabon's gambling sector. This reform invalidates all previous authorizations by July 7, 2026, requiring operators to re-license under stringent new regulations focused on transparency, compliance, and economic alignment. The initiative seeks to eliminate irregular practices and attract qualified companies to a more structured market.","focusai_entities":"Gabonese National Lottery (GDJ), Rom\u00e9o Ondo, Anita Moussavou","focusai_location":"Gabon","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (0.9), regulator (0.95), compliance_legal (0.95), operator_casino (0.9), affiliate_publisher (0.7), tech_data (0.7), marketing_crm (0.7), payments_fraud_aml (0.9), investor_analyst (0.9), supplier_vendor (0.85), journalist_researcher (0.9)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"GDJ Licensing Framework Impact","query":"What specific changes to the governance frameworks and operational compliance requirements will be implemented under the GDJ's new licensing regime, and how might this impact the total addressable market (TAM) and potential GGR for licensed operators?"},{"label":"Market Entry & M&A","query":"Given the new state-supervised licensing framework, what are the anticipated timelines for license issuance, and what M&A opportunities or strategic partnerships might emerge for international operators seeking entry into the Gabonese market?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60014,60019],"tags":[226,2689,74],"class_list":["post-19633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-central-africa","category-regulation-news","tag-anti-money-laundering","tag-gambling-regulation","tag-lottery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2809"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19633"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19704,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19633\/revisions\/19704"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}