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Rwanda has taken another step in rebuilding its gambling industry, approving three international betting operators as the country pushes ahead with a stricter licensing system introduced after more than a year of regulatory overhaul.
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB), acting through the National Lottery and Gambling Commission, has awarded new licenses to Betway, ElephantBet and ForteBet. The approvals mark one of the clearest signs yet that Rwanda is moving beyond the market freeze imposed to redesign its gambling framework.
The country’s licensing pause began in 2024 while officials drafted a new national gambling policy. Restrictions were lifted in August 2025, but operators returned to a market that looked very different from the one they had left.
Higher Taxes, Stricter Rules
Alongside the new regulatory framework came a sharp increase in gambling taxes.
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) tax climbed from 13% to 40%, while the withholding tax on player winnings increased from 15% to 25%. The government has positioned the changes as part of a broader effort to strengthen oversight, improve tax collection and reshape how gambling contributes to the economy.
Not everyone expects the higher tax burden to achieve those goals. H2 Gambling Capital has warned that significantly higher operating costs could reduce profitability for licensed companies and encourage some players to use unregulated gambling websites instead.
Different Licenses for Different Operators
The latest approvals also suggest Rwanda is moving away from a one-size-fits-all licensing model.
Betway and ForteBet have been cleared to offer both online sports betting and online casino products. ElephantBet, by contrast, received approval only for online sports betting, indicating regulators are assessing each application individually rather than issuing identical permissions across the market.
Officials described the approvals as the result of an extensive licensing and evaluation process, giving the three companies a formal route back into Rwanda after an absence of more than a year.
A Long-Term Shift in Gambling Policy
The licensing decisions form part of the Rwanda Gambling Policy introduced in 2024, a wider reform programme designed to tighten supervision of gambling operators while ensuring the sector generates greater public value.
Under the policy, authorities aim to strengthen compliance standards, improve fiscal oversight and channel gambling revenues toward public health and social development initiatives.
The latest licenses suggest Rwanda’s gambling market is reopening cautiously, with regulatory control taking priority over rapid expansion.
Source: igamingexpert.com
