The Ministry of Finance of the Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed in August that it now holds sole authority over gambling regulation. Decree No. 25/293 transferred oversight from the Ministry of Sport and Leisure to the finance ministry.
On 27 August the ministry's press office reminded operators that any requests for licence fees or levies from unauthorised bodies carry no legal weight. The Directorate General of Administrative and State Revenues (DGRAD) was tasked with identifying and cancelling all illegal payment notices. Operators were urged to report such cases directly to the ministry.
The DRC market is seen as promising — the population exceeds 100 million. But tax collection remains a critical problem. Last year Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba estimated annual iGaming operator revenue at around $1.7 billion, while tax receipts came to just $1 million. The system relies on declarations: operators report their own figures to the state.
'Operators do pay, yes, but they pay as much as suits them. In practice we pay what is convenient for us. The state has no control mechanisms,' the CEO of one large operator told iGB.
In response the ministry announced earlier this year the launch of a new gambling monitoring platform to strengthen oversight. A revised legal framework for the sector is also in development — modernising old rules and tightening tax collection. The transfer of powers is intended to eliminate institutional confusion and protect state revenue.
