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Senegal’s gambling sector mobilized more than CFA40.9 billion (US$71 million) in the first three months of 2026, according to Finance Minister Cheikh Diba.
The figures were announced during the opening of the African Lotteries Association seminar in Dakar, where industry leaders gathered under the theme “Development and innovation of African lotteries.”
Diba explained that the government is intensifying its focus on taxation and oversight of online gaming as part of a broader effort to strengthen domestic resource mobilization.
He noted that “in a context marked by resource scarcity and increasing budgetary pressure, the Government of the Republic of Senegal has opted for diversification and strengthening the mobilization of domestic resources.”
2025 reforms lead to industry growth
The minister highlighted reforms introduced in 2025, including double taxation on gambling operators, which he said were designed to support revenue mobilization and regulate a fast‑growing sector.
“It is within this framework that the introduction of double taxation of the gambling sector took place in 2025,” Diba stated, adding that the measures were meant to balance growth with oversight.
He confirmed that CFA40.9 billion had already been mobilized in the first quarter of 2026, representing a coverage rate of 71%. “The results observed so far demonstrate the sector’s dynamism and its potential for resource mobilization,” he said, pointing to the role of online gambling in driving expansion.
National Lottery receive praise
Diba used the African Lotteries Association seminar in Dakar to highlight the role of Senegal’s National Lottery (LONASE) in advancing government priorities.
He singled out Director General Toussaint Manga for his leadership, saying: “I commend the work of the Director General of LONASE and congratulate him on the innovations implemented and for his participation in putting the government’s directives into practice.”
According to Diba, the lottery’s reforms and innovations have helped channel gambling revenues into public spending needs at a time of tight budgets. “These resources from this mobilization have been reinvested in the social priorities of the State, in a constrained budgetary context,” he explained.
The minister also pointed to the rapid shift of gaming into digital spaces, noting that “a large part of games are now carried out online in a digitized environment, often cross‑border.”
He called for stronger tools to track online operations, better revenue collection systems, and closer cooperation to address risks linked to cross‑border crime.
Diba urged the ALA to continue driving collaboration and innovation across Africa’s lottery sector, describing its role as “that of uniting the actors, serving as a vanguard, but also as a framework for consultation and formulation of innovative solutions adapted to our African realities.”
He further warned about the dangers of online gaming for younger users, stressing the need for “structural, effective, and sustainable solutions” to protect children from harm.
Source: Focus Gaming News
