Online betting in The Gambia sits in a grey/unclear zone: gambling itself is legal (the 2015 ban was reversed by President Adama Barrow’s 2017 Executive Order), and sports betting is openly marketed, but the country has no comprehensive online-gambling licensing regime. Domestic activity centres on land-based casinos, a national lottery and betting shops operating under government permission, while most online play runs through offshore-facing sites. A steep 50% tax on winnings took effect on 1 January 2026, and crypto remains unregulated.

The Gambia banned all gambling in 2015 under former president Yahya Jammeh. That ban was lifted in 2017 when President Adama Barrow issued an Executive Order reopening lotteries, casinos and sports betting. Betting has since resumed “in full force,” but the legal architecture is thin: there is no dedicated statutory online-gambling regulator or clear licensing pathway. Land-based venues and the national lottery operate on government permission rather than a modern licensing framework, which is why we classify the online market as grey/unclear rather than fully regulated.

Who regulates gambling?

There is no purpose-built gambling commission. Oversight is exercised through the Ministry of Finance and the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), which administers gambling taxation. This is a fiscal, revenue-focused form of control rather than the consumer-protection and technical-standards regime seen in fully regulated markets. If you gamble here, assume limited formal recourse if something goes wrong.

Licensed vs offshore

The clearest “official” product is the national lottery, Lotto-Bi (Gambia Lotto), whose technology platform is supplied by LOT.TO, a UK-licensed iLottery provider. Many online sportsbooks marketed to Gambians are offshore brands that accept local payments; because there is no robust domestic register to verify against, we do not endorse specific offshore operators here. Treat any online operator cautiously and prefer those holding a recognised licence from a credible jurisdiction.

Payments: local and crypto

The Gambia is a mobile-first betting market. Deposits and withdrawals typically use mobile money — Africell AfriMoney, QCell QMoney and Wave — alongside retail cash agents. Card and bank transfers are less common.

Crypto is a separate question. The Gambia has no specific cryptocurrency legislation, and the Central Bank of The Gambia has not authorised digital assets while cautioning on risk. Crypto is therefore neither clearly legal nor banned; it carries no legal protections and is not part of any licensed gambling payment channel, so using it for betting adds regulatory and counterparty risk on top of price volatility.

Tax on winnings

The Gambia taxes winnings heavily. In the 2026 National Budget, Finance Minister Seedy Keita raised the tax on winnings from 40% to 50%, effective 1 January 2026, covering sports betting, casino games, slots and lotteries, and framed as a measure to curb gambling harm. Operators are responsible for withholding and remitting to the GRA, and the Ministry of Finance also signalled plans for a digital platform to track payouts in real time. In practice this means a large share of any payout is deducted before it reaches you — a critical factor when assessing whether betting here is worthwhile.

Safety and responsible gambling

The Gambia is a Muslim-majority society where gambling is religiously discouraged, and community leaders and local media have raised alarm about youth gambling harm, debt and family stress. We could not identify an official national problem-gambling helpline. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, seek support from a trusted family member, a healthcare professional, or a local religious or community leader, and consider self-exclusion by removing betting apps and blocking mobile-money betting merchants.

Gambling is for adults only (18+). Never bet money you cannot afford to lose, and remember that the 50% winnings tax and grey legal status materially reduce any realistic upside.

Sources