Gambling is legal in Guinea, but it is restricted and state-centred rather than an open online market. The domestic sector is a monopoly run by the Loterie Nationale de Guinée (LONAGUI) and, since January 2023, regulated by the ARSJPA. Betting is available through ARSJPA-authorised operators, and the regulator has actively moved against offshore sites that refuse to comply — notably suspending 1xBet and Yellobet from January 2024. In practice you can bet online, usually in Guinean francs via mobile money, but you should stick to operators that hold a genuine, verifiable licence, because non-compliant sites can be suspended and offer no local consumer protection.

Guinea has a formal, government-backed gambling framework. The Loterie Nationale de Guinée (LONAGUI) was established by decree D/2000/028/PRG/SGG of 28 March 2000 and holds a legal monopoly over lotteries, predictions and betting. For years LONAGUI acted mainly as a regulator; according to its own history it launched its first own product, a PMU horse-race pool, in 2019, followed by lottery and sports-betting products. A May 2022 presidential decree reaffirmed LONAGUI’s exclusive rights over lottery and sports betting distributed through physical retail networks.

In January 2023 a presidential decree created the Autorité de Régulation du Secteur des Jeux et Pratiques Assimilées (ARSJPA) as the dedicated regulator, while fixing LONAGUI’s statutes. ARSJPA’s mandate includes authorising games, policing compliance, fighting illegal sites and money laundering, and promoting responsible gambling.

Licensed vs offshore online betting

This is where care matters. Guinea’s framework channels online play toward ARSJPA-authorised operators, and the regulator has shown it will act against sites that do not comply. In late December 2023, ARSJPA announced the suspension of 1xBet and Yellobet from 1 January 2024, with local coverage citing their refusal to connect to the regulator’s control and monitoring system and other concerns. That is the opposite of a freely tolerated offshore market: offshore or non-compliant online betting is restricted, and enforcement is real.

Some operators are reported in local coverage to run under an ARSJPA licence (Guinée Games, for example, after its 2022 concession dispute with the state). Because the picture changes and we could not independently verify every operator’s current licence status, the safe rule is simple: before depositing, check that the operator holds a genuine, verifiable licence, and favour those that display a valid ARSJPA authorisation for the Guinean market.

Payments: mobile money and crypto

MethodStatus in practice
Orange MoneyWidely used in Guinea; commonly integrated by betting sites; GNF settlement
MTN Mobile MoneyWidely used; GNF settlement
Bank cardsLess common; limited local card penetration
CryptocurrencyUnclear — no primary source confirms specific authorisation or ban; not BCRG-recognised

Mobile money is the backbone of everyday payments in Guinea, and Guinea-facing sites let you transact in Guinean francs. We could not verify specific operator fee schedules from primary sources, so confirm terms before depositing. Cryptocurrency’s status is unclear: we found no primary source specifically authorising or banning it, and the Banque Centrale de la République de Guinée does not recognise it as a regulated payment instrument, so crypto use is unregulated and carries real risk.

Tax on winnings

No gambling-specific tax on individual player winnings is documented in the primary sources we could find, and published data on this is limited. Do not assume winnings are tax-free — confirm with the Direction Générale des Impôts.

Staying safe

  • Check the operator’s licence (ideally a valid ARSJPA authorisation) before depositing.
  • Prefer mobile-money methods you already trust; keep records of transactions.
  • Treat crypto gambling as high-risk and unprotected.
  • Set deposit and time limits before you start, and never chase losses.

You must be an adult to gamble legally. Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money — if it stops being fun, stop. If gambling is causing harm to you or someone you know, seek support from a qualified local health service or an international problem-gambling support service such as those listed by GamCare (begambleaware.org).

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