Gambling in Rwanda: licensing recommences
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has lifted a suspension on land-based casino licensing and invited expressions of interest for online gambling licences.
Rwanda.- The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has announced that it is recommencing gambling licensing, lifting a suspension that was introduced over a year ago in June 2024. The regulator says it has reopened licensing for land-based casinos. It’s also inviting expressions of interest for retail and online sports betting and for online casinos.
In a statement issued on Saturday (August 1), reported by Focus Gaming News Africa, the RDB said it was still undertaking a “thorough review and redesign” of the legal and regulatory framework for gambling in Rwanda. In the meantime existing regulations continue to apply under Law no.58/2011 and ministerial orders from 2013 and 2023.
Rwanda suspended gambling licensing in 2024 for both new applications and renewals to give time for the development of a new national gambling policy. The decision was sparked by a 2023 report that identified a number of concerns, including weak regulatory enforcement, underreporting of earnings, a lack of digital monitoring systems and a rise in gambling addiction.
The RDB confirmed that the collection of annual licensing fees has begun again and that licensed operators will receive communications about deadlines and procedures. It stressed that it would expect punctual compliance. A new framework approved in May raises the tax rate from 13 to 40 per cent.
As well as the resumption of land-based casino licensing, expressions of interest are invited for three additional verticals: land-based sports betting, online sports betting and online casinos. Interested parties have until September 20 to submit their interest accompanied by a company profile, investment intentions and vertical preference.
See also: Kenya proposes rise in legal age for gambling
Currently, Rwanda has over 30 registered gambling operators, including sports betting shops, online platforms and lottery services. It was estimated that the market was worth $198.4bn in 2021 and would grow by 8.94 per cent a year until 2027.
