Congo Draft Finance Bill Proposes 10% Levy on Gambling Stakes
The 2027 bill would also mandate electronic payments and a national supervision platform.
Key Takeaways
- The Republic of the Congo's 2027 Draft Finance Bill proposes a 10% levy on gambling stakes paid in electronic money.
- The draft would require operators to collect all gambling stakes through electronic money.
- Gambling operators would have to connect to a national supervision platform by 1 March 2027.
- Article 6 would allocate 50% of levy revenue to the Public Treasury, 20% each to ARJHA and ARPCE, and 10% to the Tourism Development Fund.
- The bill had not been adopted at publication and its final text could change.
The Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) has proposed a 10% levy on gambling stakes paid in electronic money under its 2027 Draft Finance Bill. The draft would also require operators to collect stakes exclusively through electronic money and connect to a national gambling supervision platform by 1 March 2027. None of the measures is law yet.
What the draft bill proposes
Finance Minister Christian Yoka presented the 2027 Draft Finance Bill to the National Assembly and Senate on 29 October 2026. The Ministry of Finance published the draft on its website on 30 October 2026.
The bill also addresses taxation, customs duties, telecommunications, electronic communications, special economic zones and funding for local authorities. Its gambling provisions cover stake collection, electronic supervision and the distribution of levy revenue.
Focus Gaming News published an extract of the original French text showing the levy, revenue split and connection deadline. Article 7 sets the rate; the translated provision reads:
“The rate of the levy on gambling and games of chance is set at 10 per cent of the amount of stakes placed using electronic money.” — Article 7 of the draft bill, translated from French
The levy is calculated on stakes, rather than gross gaming revenue or operator profits.
Electronic payments and platform connection
Article 3 would require every operator conducting gambling activities in the Republic of the Congo to collect stakes exclusively through electronic money. If enacted in that form, the provision would leave bettors without access to an electronic-money account with no permitted way to place a bet with a licensed operator.
Article 4 requires every gambling operator in the country to connect to a national gambling supervision platform. Article 8 sets the deadline at 1 March 2027. In translation, the draft states:
“no gambling operator may conduct its activities without being connected to the national gambling supervision platform” — Article 8 of the draft bill, translated from French
Under Article 2, the platform would supervise gambling operations and collect, centralise and process financial and statistical data. The Agency for Regulation of Posts and Electronic Communications (ARPCE) would establish it on behalf of the state. Operators are advised to update their IT systems and adjust financial processes before the deadline.
How levy revenue would be distributed
Article 5 identifies six groups participating in the system: gambling operators, electronic-money businesses, the Authority for Regulation of Games of Chance and Gambling (ARJHA), ARPCE, Public Treasury services and the Tourism Development Fund (FDT). Article 6 allocates the levy revenue as follows:
50% to the Public Treasury
20% to ARJHA
20% to ARPCE
10% to the Tourism Development Fund
Legislative status and costs
The draft measures must still pass through the legislative process and the final text could change. The bill had not been adopted at publication. The published articles do not specify whether operators would absorb the levy or pass it to bettors through odds, bonuses or other terms; Betting Companies Africa (BCA) had not seen an operator statement on the issue.
The article was last updated on 13 November 2026. It concerns the Republic of the Congo, not the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has its own government and regulators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the proposed Congo gambling levy based on operator profits?
No, the proposed levy is calculated on the amount staked using electronic money. Article 7 sets the rate at 10%, rather than applying it to gross gaming revenue or operator profits.
Who would run the gambling supervision platform in Congo-Brazzaville?
The Agency for Regulation of Posts and Electronic Communications would establish the platform on behalf of the state. Article 2 gives the platform a role in supervising gambling operations and processing financial and statistical data.
Would bettors pay the cost of the proposed gambling levy?
The published articles do not say whether bettors or operators would carry the cost. Betting Companies Africa had not seen an operator statement on whether the 10% levy would be passed on through odds, bonuses or other terms.
When was the Congo finance bill presented to lawmakers?
Finance Minister Christian Yoka presented the 2027 Draft Finance Bill to the National Assembly and Senate on 29 October 2026. The Ministry of Finance published the draft on 30 October 2026.
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About the author
Eleanor Whitfield
Regulatory Affairs Correspondent
Eleanor Whitfield tracks gambling legislation, licensing decisions, and regulator enforcement across key markets — from the UKGC, MGA, and Germany's GGL to Spain's DGOJ and the state-by-state map in the Americas. The reporting answers three questions precisely: what changed, where, and who it affects, with jurisdictions, effective dates, and penalty figures named exactly as published. Compliance officers and operators read Eleanor Whitfield to know which rulebook moved before their next board meeting.
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