DRC Ministry of Finance Reaffirms Sole Authority Over Gambling Regulation
DRC’s Ministry of Finance reaffirmed sole gambling oversight via a 27 August press release citing Ordinance No. 25/293, ending prior ambiguity with the Ministry of Sports and Leisure. It warns against unauthorized payment demands while stressing operator liability to the treasury. A market with over 100 million people generated $1.7B revenue but only $1M in taxes last year.
SCCG Take — Centralized authority removes regulatory confusion for operators but exposes the enforcement gap that lets $1.7B markets yield minimal taxes. Effective platform rollout will determine if clarity translates into revenue capture.
The Ministry of Finance of the Democratic Republic of Congo has reaffirmed its exclusive authority to oversee the gambling sector. In a press release dated 27 August, the ministry cited Ordinance No. 25/293, which transferred responsibility from the Ministry of Sports and Leisure. This action ends any institutional ambiguity over regulatory control.
The release, signed by Alain Malata Kafunda, chief of staff to the DRC minister of finance, states the ministry’s determination to drive reform in line with government directives. It emphasizes legal certainty for operators, transparency in activities, and protection of the Public Treasury’s interests. Operators must ignore payment requests from unauthorized departments and report them immediately to the Ministry of Finance and the Directorate General of Administrative, Judicial, State Property and Equity Revenues (DGRAD). The DGRAD will secure cancellation of irregular notices. Any unauthorized act is devoid of legal effect, though operators remain liable to the Public Treasury.
Taxation Shortfalls in a High-Potential Market
The DRC represents a substantial gambling opportunity with a population well in excess of 100 million. Tax collection has undermined sector development. Last year, Minister of Finance Doudou Fwamba estimated iGaming operators generated $1.7 billion in annual revenue yet contributed only approximately $1 million in taxes. A CEO of a prominent operator told iGaming Business the system runs on operator declarations. “Operators do pay, yes, but they pay whatever suits them,” the CEO said. “In other words, we effectively pay what benefits us. All the while, the state has no means of monitoring its regulatory policies.”
The Ministry of Finance has responded with plans for a new centralised gambling monitoring platform and a modernised legal framework to strengthen oversight. This clarification directs operators toward a single point of compliance while the government addresses persistent revenue gaps. Where the Risk Lies: sustained under-collection could delay broader investment unless the monitoring platform delivers verifiable enforcement.
Reporting: iGaming Business (iGB)
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Clear authority is worthless without enforcement — DRC's $1M tax take from $1.7B in revenue proves the point.
We work frontier and emerging markets where regulatory clarity is step one, but enforcement is everything. The DRC just drew a line in the sand: Finance owns gambling, Sports is out. Now comes the hard part — building the monitoring platform and legal framework to actually collect. Until then, operators self-declare and the treasury bleeds.
- Ordinance 25/293 gives Finance Ministry sole gambling oversight, ending turf battle with Sports
- $1.7B operator revenue, $1M in taxes — operators pay what suits them with zero state monitoring
- New centralised platform and legal framework promised to close compliance and revenue gaps
SCCG angle: SCCG has placed compliance infrastructure and payment solutions in five African jurisdictions. When a market centralizes authority and signals platform modernization like the DRC just did, we connect operators and tech partners who can move fast while the window is open and the framework is still being written.
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