Rwanda: betting facts (2026)

Betting in Rwanda is regulated by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), through its National Lottery and Gambling Commission (NLGC).

Licensed operators: no public register

RDB publishes no list of licensed gambling operators on rdb.rw. What we could verify: the Law governing gaming activities (No. 58/2011) sets the licensing regime and bars minors from gaming; Cabinet approved a new Gambling Policy on 18 October 2024 after licensing was suspended in June 2024. Press reports and RDB's own social-media account say RDB issued licences on 15 July 2026 to Betway (online sports betting and online casino), ElephantBet (online sports betting) and ForteBet (online sports betting and online casino). Because RDB has published no register, we list these as reported, not verified.

• https://rwandalii.org/akn/rw/act/law/2011/58/eng@2012-03-26
• https://rdb.rw/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gambling-Policy-of-Rwanda.pdf
• https://focusgn.com/africa/rwanda-development-board-awards-licences-to-three-new-betting-operators-in-market-expansion (press)

Minimum age

Minimum age: 18. Law No. 58/2011 defines a minor as a person under 18 and, in article 31, bars minors from entering, using or engaging in any gaming activity.

• https://rwandalii.org/akn/rw/act/law/2011/58/eng@2012-03-26

Tax on winnings

25% withholding tax on net winnings (winnings minus stake), withheld by the operator, under the 2025 tax law gazetted on 29 May 2025 (gaming provisions in force three months later); the rate was 15% before (EY). PwC's Rwanda summary still shows 15%, so we flag the 25% as confirmed by one Big-4 firm pending the second.

Checked 2026-10-02. Sources:

• https://www.ey.com/en_gl/technical/tax-alerts/rwanda-introduces-numerous-tax-changes
• https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/rwanda/corporate/withholding-taxes

Checked 2026-10-02.