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Cameroon is one of the West African nations sharing borders with Nigeria in the west, Chad and the Central African Republic in the east, the Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea in the south, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Gambling in Cameroon is something that has been in the process of evolution, and Cameroon enjoys both offline and online gambling. However, there is still much scope in most of the gambling types for the regulatory framework to be established, more so with the growth of online gambling.
This article was written on September 16, 2024, and is based on information available on that date. Because regulations by nature are subject to change, one should consult with local experts for the most current information available pertaining to gambling laws in Cameroon.
Overview of Cameroonian regulations on gambling
However, land-based gambling has been legally recognised in Cameroon for a couple of decades. The Finance Law, for some time starting in 1989, has helped the government effectively control casinos and other growths of gambling facilities on land. However, as a result of technological development in the last couple of years, there was a growing need to amend such laws.
The Prime Minister, in 2015, set MINATD as the authority to regulate gambling. Consequently, new gambling laws were created with the Games of Chance Law No. 2015/012 that was passed on July 15, 2016. Gross wins after new regulations were passed had to be subject to a corresponding tax increase, with different tax rates applied to gaming machines.
For now, Cameroon’s legal framework is more directed at the regulation of land-based gambling, whereas online gambling is in a state of dubious legality.
Cameroon’s stance on online gambling
In contrast with many African countries, Cameroon can potentially become a part of the promising development of gambling with no legislation on online gambling. Online gambling is still legal, and though there are attempts to regulate it, no concrete procedure has been taken. As such, there is no regulation of online services by the operators from the foreign countries available to the Cameroonian players. This is the social setting that has precipitated online gambling in Cameroon, but it also poses players to danger.
Cleaning up of the industry is going on, especially regarding land-based illegal operations. In 2018, the authorities began to crack down on unlicensed operators, including those that offer online services. This would appear to point toward the possible establishment of online gambling regulations in the near future.
Licenses of gambling operators in Cameroon
Betting shops, land-based casinos, and gaming halls are licensed. As many as 18 licensed operators are currently active in the country: Seven casinos; seven houses of betting and lottery; and four halls of gaming machines. Pari Mutuel Urbain Camerounais, also called PMUC, is one of the oldest and largest companies with the bet on horse racing, which was launched in Cameroon in 1994.
Most casinos are situated in the two major cities: Yaoundé and Douala. However, any online operators that permit Cameroonian gamers are ordinarily licensed beyond the country’s borders. In turn, the government has already tried to solve this problem by regulating online gambling without a license.
Land-based gambling laws
Land-based gambling has been greatly regulated in Cameroon. The 2015 Games of Chance Law No. 2015/012 set up a tax at the rate of 25% of the gross win on every type of game, excluding the gaming machines. Secondly, businesses operating gaming machines shall pay an annual fee per machine, starting from CAF 20,000 to 100,000 per machine depending on the size of a business.
Along with such land-based gambling strict regulations, online gambling has not been given the same consideration.
Player protections and responsible gambling
Currently, Cameroonian online gamblers do not possess any legal protection of their rights. While there are no legal restrictions to gambling online, players are expected to use only reputable websites to avoid possible fraud. While proper online gambling legislation is yet to be put in place, players depend on offshore operators with a good reputation and licensing from other jurisdictions.
At the same time, land-based gambling shows the strategy of responsible gambling. The operators are obliged to provide measures of protection for players from gambling addiction. This sphere is actively controlled by the Ministry of Territorial Administration.
Future of online gambling in Cameroon
Cameroon has proved that it is willing and ready to have well-controlled gambling, especially concerning land-based gambling. It is only a matter of time before very comprehensive regulations for online gaming are set in the country, given how much online gambling has grown in most parts of the world.
Its recent crackdowns on those operating without licenses show that it is serious about bringing gaming into a safe, controlled environment. If Cameroon gets the right online regulations in place one day, it could become one of the biggest legal online gambling centres on the African continent.
Where to get help on Cameroon’s gambling laws
Some of them are Deloitte Legal Cameroon and Cabinet NGWANG & Co., which provide professional one-stop advice on the regulations concerning gambling. If you are a player or an operator interested in understanding the gambling laws of Cameroon, you will definitely get some insight from the legal consultants.
While land-based Cameroon gambling is satisfactorily regulated, online gambling is not. The general outlook of the country about gambling is a signal that the regulation of online gambling is not far away in order to always protect the operator and the players from fraud.
If you want to know more, read the full iGaming market research report.
