Is online gambling legal in Burkina Faso?

You must be 18. Recreational gambling winnings are not taxable.

Online gambling is not regulated here (online casino, sports betting and online poker grey/partial). Offshore sites are reachable, but if something goes wrong you may have no one to complain to.

Online sports betting is not regulated: no Burkina Faso licence exists for it, and sites offering it operate without one. Online casino is not regulated: no Burkina Faso licence exists for it, and sites offering it operate without one. Online poker is not regulated: no Burkina Faso licence exists for it, and sites offering it operate without one. The lottery is legal on sites licensed in Burkina Faso.

Using a VPN to reach gambling sites from Burkina Faso: Legal.

Gambling with crypto: Banned.

You must be 18 to gamble online in Burkina Faso, for online casino, sports betting and lottery alike.

Recreational gambling winnings are not taxable.

There are approximately 2 licensed operators in Burkina Faso as of 8 Oct 2026.

Always verify a casino holds a valid The state operator, Loterie Nationale Burkinabè (LONAB), is supervised by the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Prospective and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Security. The Commission Nationale des Jeux de Hasard (CNJH) is the nominal national authority, but LONAB is the dominant operational and de facto regulatory force. licence before depositing.

The state operator, Loterie Nationale Burkinabè (LONAB), is supervised by the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Prospective and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Security. The Commission Nationale des Jeux de Hasard (CNJH) is the nominal national authority, but LONAB is the dominant operational and de facto regulatory force.'s website

Prominent operators in Burkina Faso

If a site isn't on the regulator's licensee register, ask the regulator before you play: an unlisted site is usually not licensed here (a register can lag behind a new licence). An unlicensed site is outside the regulator's supervision, so you cannot complain to the regulator about it.

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  Verify you are on the official LONAB site

  For local lottery and sports betting, ensure you are using the official Loterie Nationale Burkinabè (LONAB) platform. No other company is licensed to offer these games within Burkina Faso.

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  Use only well-known international brands

  As the online market is unregulated, stick to large, reputable international operators with a long history and a licence from a known jurisdiction like Malta or the UK, even though these are not locally recognized.

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  Prioritize mobile money for payments

  Use secure and popular local payment methods like Orange Money and Moov Money. Be cautious with sites that only accept international credit cards or wire transfers, as these are less common and may pose higher risks.

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  Understand that you have no local protection

  When playing on offshore sites, you are not protected by Burkinabè law. Any disputes over winnings or account closures must be handled with the operator or their foreign licensor directly.

What you can expect from a licensed site's offers in Burkina Faso. The rules operators must follow are on the operator page.

We have no record of a national self-exclusion scheme or problem-gambling helpline in Burkina Faso. The law does not require licensed sites to offer deposit limits. Reality checks (reminders of how long you have played) are not required.

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   1. Contact the operator directly

   For players using offshore sites, the only recourse is to contact the operator's customer support. There is no local regulator to escalate complaints to.

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   2. Escalate to the operator's licensing body

   If the operator is licensed by an international authority like the MGA or Curaçao, you may be able to file a complaint with that body. However, their jurisdiction within Burkina Faso is not formally recognized.

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   3. For LONAB games, contact LONAB

   For disputes related to the national lottery or PMU betting, complaints should be directed to LONAB itself. Failing resolution, the matter would proceed through the general Burkinabè legal system.

   LONAB Official Site

• Myth

  All online betting is illegal in Burkina Faso.
  Reality

  Online betting is not explicitly illegal; it is unregulated. The 1996 gambling law does not address online activities, creating a grey market where Burkinabè players can access international sites without breaking a specific law.

• Myth

  My gambling winnings will be taxed.
  Reality

  Player winnings from all forms of gambling, including lotteries and sports betting, are not subject to any tax in Burkina Faso. The 5% tax introduced in 2025 applies only to the operator's turnover.

• Myth

  Using a VPN to gamble is against the law.
  Reality

  There are no laws in Burkina Faso that prohibit the use of VPNs. Citizens are free to use them for privacy or to access international content, including online gambling sites.

• Myth

  I can use Bitcoin to bet online.
  Reality

  This is highly restricted. The regional central bank (BCEAO) prohibits local financial institutions from processing cryptocurrency transactions. While some offshore sites may accept crypto, funding your account from within Burkina Faso through official channels is effectively banned.