Operating in Cameroon: betting and poker only, 15% tax
Online sports betting and online poker can be licensed in Cameroon, by an online-games authorisation under Law No. 2015/012 and Decree No. 2019/2300/PM, handled by the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MINAT); online casino games have no online licence category. Casinos and betting shops run under land-based concessions, and public lotteries under one concession per type of lottery, which may sell online.
Product by product
A company seated abroad needs a Cameroonian subsidiary, an account with a bank established in Cameroon and a site reachable only on a .cm domain.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports betting | Licensable | MINAT (online authorisation) | 15% games tax plus 2% annual levy | Bank guarantee of 200,000,000 francs; Cameroonian subsidiary if seated abroad; .cm site only | Advertising aimed at minors is a crime, and ads for money lenders are barred on the site |
| Online poker | Licensable | MINAT (online authorisation) | As for Sports betting | Same authorisation conditions as online betting | As for betting |
| Online casino and slots | Unregulated | No licence route | — | Online games are defined as betting and poker only, while betpawa.cm, a .cm betting site, links to a casino lobby and no authority has ruled on that offer | — |
| Lottery | Limited | MINAT (concession) | — | One concession per type of lottery; may be offered online; bank guarantee FCFA 50,000,000; no sales to minors | — |
| Games and platform supply (B2B) | Unregulated | No supplier licence | — | The operator describes the platforms and software it uses in its application, and online platforms face mandatory security audits | — |
Do offshore online games owe tax in Cameroon?
From 1 January 2026 a non-resident digital-sector enterprise with more than FCFA 50 million billed or more than 1,000 users in Cameroon owes a final 3% tax on its gross revenue from Cameroon, plus communal additional centimes of 10% of the tax, filed monthly, and online games are named among digital services. The same Finance Law has the State tax services collect the 2% annual games levy, paid within 15 days after each quarter, with 30% going to the Regions.
Regulator and player protection in Cameroon
Getting licensed: apply to the MINAT
Gambling tax: 15%
The games tax is 15% of the gross product of the games, ancillary receipts included, paid to the Communes within 15 days after each month (CGI arts 206-212); it covers every game in its scope, including games run by mobile telephony, and is deductible for corporate tax.
- On top
- the 2% annual games levy on turnover excluding tax (Decree art 126(1)), collected only by the tax services since the Finance Law 2026 and paid quarterly, 30% to the Regions (CGI art C132;
- Finance Law art 27);
- VAT at 17.5% plus 10% communal centimes, 19.25% in all (CGI art 142); and the licence contribution of four times the patente (CGI art C30).
- From 1 January 2026 a non-resident digital-sector enterprise with more than FCFA 50,000,000 billed or more than 1,000 users in Cameroon, online games included, owes a final 3% tax on its gross revenue from Cameroon, plus 10% communal centimes (CGI arts 5 ter, 17 quater).
- As of 21 October 2026.
Which foreign licences Cameroon accepts
Cameroon recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BannedMalta (MGA) · United Kingdom (UKGC) · Gibraltar (GRA) · Isle of Man (GSC) · Curaçao · Kahnawake (KGC) · Anjouan (AGB) · Alderney (AGCC)
Not recognised: online betting and online poker need the authorisation of the Minister in charge of games (Decree 2019/2300/PM art 97), and running online games without it is an offence, 6 months to 2 years or FCFA 5,000,000 to 25,000,000 (Penal Code s. 249(1)); the Decree orders such games closed at once (art 121). No official blocking list was found as of 21 October 2026.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses allowed
No gaming text sets bonus rules: the Decree lets an operator credit a player account with a promotional offer (art 92(2)), and general consumer and e-commerce law governs how offers are advertised.
- Welcome bonus
- Allowed
- VIP schemes
- Allowed
- Loyalty schemes
- Allowed
- Cashback
- Allowed
Bonuses are allowed, and the law caps neither their size nor their wagering requirements. Every offer must say clearly who is making it and give its conditions in plain terms, and calling something "free" when you must pay more than unavoidable costs is a misleading practice.
- Messages ads may not give
- Calling an offer "gratuit", "à titre gracieux" or "sans frais" when the player must pay more than the unavoidable costs (Law 2015/018 art 80(n))
- Claiming a product increases the chances of winning at games of chance (Law 2015/018 art 80(j))
- Announcing a prize that is not awarded (Law 2015/018 art 80(m))
- A promotion whose conditions are not easily accessible, precise and unambiguous (Law 2010/021 art 5(1))
- Penalties
A licensed operator’s advertisement targeting minors, by any means: 1 to 3 years’ imprisonment or a fine of FCFA 10,000,000 to 20,000,000, or both (Penal Code s. 249-6).
Running online games without an authorisation: 6 months to 2 years or a fine of FCFA 5,000,000 to 25,000,000, or both (Penal Code s. 249(1)); a corporate body’s maximum fine is five times that (s. 25-1(2)).
No advertisement needs prior approval. The minister in charge of advertising regulates advertising, and agencies and sales houses need his agrément (Law 2006/018 arts 5(2), 44); gaming ads must carry the excessive-gambling warning and stay out of services aimed at minors (Law 2015/012 s 11). Google’s ads policy has listed Cameroon for certified gambling advertisers since August 2025 (press reports).
Advertising: limited
Gaming advertising in Cameroon follows Law 2015/012 s 11: every lawfully authorised operator’s marketing must carry a message warning against excessive and pathological gambling and a message referring to the information and assistance service, and is banned from publications, audiovisual and online services targeting minors and from cinemas during films open to minors. The general advertising law, Law 2006/018, lists the media it covers (art 16), puts outdoor posting under the property rules (arts 19-20) and requires advertising agencies and sales houses to hold the agrément of the minister in charge of advertising (art 5). A licensed operator’s advertisement targeting minors, by any means, is a crime (Penal Code s. 249-6). Only online betting and online poker can be licensed (Decree art 82(3)). As of 28 October 2026.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Licensed operators only | Google’s gambling policy lists Cameroon with country-specific certification for sports betting, online games and gambling-related lotteries; the operator must be a licensed operator registered with the Agence de Régulation des Jeux (Google Ads policy page, read 28 October 2026). Under Cameroonian law only online betting and online poker can be licensed (Decree art 82(3)), and every ad must carry the s 11 warning messages and stay out of services targeting minors (Law 2015/012 s 11).167 |
| App Store Publishing | Restricted | No channel rule found: no Cameroonian text addresses app-store distribution of gambling apps. A licensed operator must run its site only on a .cm domain (Decree art 103(3)). The stores’ own gambling-app policies are not cited here.1 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Restricted | No channel rule found for app-store ads in Cameroonian law; they are marketing communications, so the s 11 warning messages and the ban on services targeting minors apply (Law 2015/012 s 11), and a licensed operator’s advertisement targeting minors is a crime (Penal Code s. 249-6).47 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Restricted | No channel rule found for social media by name. Law 2006/018 lists websites and online newspapers, and any newer means of communication, among the media it covers (art 16), which in the expert reviewer’s view reaches social media; the s 11 ban on online services targeting minors and the warning messages apply (Law 2015/012 s 11). Meta’s own policy is not cited here.78 |
| TV & Radio | Restricted | Television and sound radio are media under Law 2006/018 art 16. A gaming operator’s ad must carry the s 11 warning messages and is banned from audiovisual services and programmes presented as targeting minors (Law 2015/012 s 11). No watershed or time rule for gambling was found; a licensed operator’s advertisement targeting minors is a crime (Penal Code s. 249-6).478 |
| Sponsorships | Allowed | No channel rule found: the advertising law does not directly address sponsorship by gambling operators; its only sponsorship rule is the tobacco ban (Law 2006/018 art 39(2)). Sponsorship aimed at minors falls under the crime of advertising that targets minors (Penal Code s. 249-6).48 |
| Digital OOH | Restricted | Outdoor posting is allowed: it follows the public-property rules (Law 2006/018 art 19), pays the taxes and fees on advertising space, except posters under arts 33-34 of Law No. 90/052 of 19 December 1990 (art 20(1)), goes only on sites reserved or indicated by the competent authorities (art 21), with specific conditions set by regulation (art 20(3)). The 3% advertising stamp duty applies (CGI arts C72, C74), and the s 11 warning messages apply to gaming posters (Law 2015/012 s 11).789 |
Channel rules for Cameroon reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Cameroon enforces against unlicensed operators
No decided fine or published sanction against a gambling operator was found as of 21 October 2026. The tools exist on paper: the Minister in charge of games, after the Agence’s opinion, may close an establishment or terminate a title (Decree art 116); unlicensed online games are to be closed at once (art 121), though no blocking method or body is named; and the Penal Code punishes unlicensed online gaming with 6 months to 2 years or FCFA 5,000,000 to 25,000,000 (s. 249(1)), with settlement possible with the gaming regulatory entity once the offence is admitted (s. 249-8).
- No official blocking list was found as of 21 October 2026; the Minister’s file of authorised online operators is copied to the telecom regulator (Decree art 105).
- From 1 January 2026 a non-resident digital-sector enterprise with more than FCFA 50,000,000 billed or more than 1,000 users in Cameroon, online games included, owes a final 3% tax on its gross revenue from Cameroon (CGI arts 5 ter, 17 quater).
Traps operators hit in Cameroon
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Assuming online casino can be licensed
The online authorisation covers online betting and online poker only (Decree art 82(3)); there is no online casino category, and running online games without an authorisation is an offence (Penal Code s. 249(1)). In the market, betpawa.cm, a .cm site, links to a casino lobby and a virtual lobby with third-party studios (read 21 October 2026); no official statement on that offer was found.
The 3% digital-sector tax reaches non-resident online games
From 1 January 2026 a non-resident digital-sector enterprise with more than FCFA 50,000,000 billed or more than 1,000 users, customers or account holders in Cameroon owes a final 3% tax on its gross revenue from Cameroon, plus 10% communal centimes, filed monthly online; "jeux en ligne" are named among digital services (CGI arts 5 ter, 17 quater, 23 bis).
Budgeting without the fee and the founding texts
A company seated abroad needs a Cameroonian subsidiary, a .cm site, a Cameroonian bank account and a bank guarantee of 200,000,000 francs (Decree arts 85(2), 94(2), 103). The entrance fee is set by a Prime Minister’s arrêté (art 125(3)), the cahier des charges is individual (art 98), and the text of Law 2015/012 is not on any official host as of 21 October 2026: ask MINAT’s Service des Jeux for them before budgeting.
Timeline: rules in force
- January 2026
Finance Law 2026: games levy to the tax services, 3% digital-sector tax
Finance Law No. 2025/012 of 17 December 2025, in force 1 January 2026, has the 2% annual games levy collected only by the tax services, paid quarterly, with 30% to the Regions (CGI art C132; Finance Law art 27), and taxes non-resident digital-sector enterprises with a significant economic presence, online games included, at 3% of gross revenue from Cameroon (CGI arts 5 ter, 17 quater).
Source: 13
- December 2024
CEMAC Regulation 02/24 replaces the 2016 AML regulation
Adopted on 20 December 2024 and in force on signature, it repeals Regulation No. 01/CEMAC/UMAC/CM of 11 April 2016 and lists casinos, including Internet casinos, and gambling providers as obliged entities; the authority that licenses them supervises their AML compliance (arts 6, 50, 184).
Source: 14
- July 2019
Decree No. 2019/2300/PM applies the 2015 Law
Signed on 18 July 2019, it sets the concession, authorisation and declaration regimes, the online authorisation for betting and poker (arts 82-105), player protection (arts 111-115), sanctions and fees; operators already licensed had six months to comply (art 129).
Source: 1
- July 2016
Penal Code sets the gaming offences
Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 (Penal Code ss. 249-249-9) punishes operating without a concession or authorisation, online gaming included, advertising that targets minors and failing to keep minors out.
Source: 4
- July 2015
Law No. 2015/012 sets the gaming regime
Law No. 2015/012 of 16 July 2015 fixes the regime of entertainment, money and chance games. Its text is not published on an official host as of 21 October 2026; its rules are read through the 2019 Decree.
Source: 15
Operator myths vs reality in Cameroon
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythA Curaçao or MGA licence is enough to serve players from Cameroon.Reality
No foreign licence is recognised. Online betting and poker need an online-games authorisation, handled by the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MINAT), open to promoters seated in Cameroon or in a State with formal and continuing economic relations with it, with a Cameroonian subsidiary if seated abroad (Decree arts 85(2), 97, 99). Running online games without it is an offence: 6 months to 2 years or FCFA 5,000,000 to 25,000,000 (Penal Code s. 249(1)).
- MythOnline casino can sit under the same authorisation as betting.Reality
The Decree defines online games as online betting and online poker (art 82(3)); online casino, slots and live tables have no online category. One .cm betting site, betpawa.cm, links to a casino lobby and a virtual lobby (read 21 October 2026); no official register or authority statement on that offer was found.
- MythThe Decree is the whole rulebook.Reality
The instruments it calls for are unpublished as of 21 October 2026: the Prime Minister’s arrêté fixing the entrance and renewal fees (art 125(3)), the Minister’s arrêté on concession conditions (art 9), each operator’s cahier des charges (art 98) and the Health Minister’s warning message (art 112(2)). The text of Law 2015/012 itself is not on any official host.
Sources1
Markets that work like Cameroon
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- French GuianaAI overview
Online casino banned; betting, poker and lottery licensed; licensed market; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly banned.
- FranceChecked
Online casino banned; betting, poker and lottery licensed; licensed market; most ad channels restricted.
- RussiaAI overview
Online casino banned; betting and lottery licensed; licensed market; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly banned.
- AlbaniaReviewedSouth AfricaIn review
Online casino banned; betting and lottery licensed; licensed market; most ad channels restricted.
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Cameroon coverage
Counted across every Cameroon page, not this page alone.
compiled 28 Oct 2026
Across every Cameroon page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 64-page Cameroon report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Cameroon reportOur Deep AI Scan took Cameroon through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 24 official documents, read on 28 Oct 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is reviewed by a named legal expert (28 Oct 2026). Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1Decree No. 2019/2300/PM of 18 July 2019 applying Law No. 2015/012 (Prime Minister’s Services, certified copy)
- 2Law No. 2010/021 of 21 December 2010 on electronic commerce (MINCOMMERCE)
- 3Law No. 2015/018 of 21 December 2015 on commercial activity (MINCOMMERCE)
- 4Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code, ss. 249-249-9 (Presidency of the Republic)
- 5Google Ads Policy Change
- 6Google Ads Help, Gambling and games policy, Cameroon entry (Google’s official policy page, read 28 October 2026)
- 7Expert review of the Cameroon report by Nfonsam Glen (27 October 2026), citing Law No. 2015/012 s 11
- 8Law No. 2006/018 of 29 December 2006 governing advertising in Cameroon (copy published by the Ville de Yaoundé)
- 9Code Général des Impôts, édition 2026, updated to 1 January 2026 (DGI)
- 10betpawa.cm homepage (an operator’s own page, read 21 October 2026)
- 11DGI circular on the Finance Law 2026 (games levy, digital-sector tax)
- 12MINAT, Direction des Affaires Politiques (Service des Jeux)
- 13Finance Law No. 2025/012 of 17 December 2025 for 2026 (Presidency of the Republic)
- 14CEMAC Regulation No. 02/24/CEMAC/UMAC/CM on AML/CFT/CPF (English, GABAC)
- 15Prime Minister’s Services: page for Decree No. 2019/2300/PM (title, date of signature, the Law it applies)
Other documents this page relies on
- Decree No. 2019/2300/PM of 18 July 2019 applying Law No. 2015/012 (Prime Minister's Services, certified copy)Law
- Code Général des Impôts, édition 2026, mis à jour au 1er janvier 2026 (DGI)Law
- Expert review of the Cameroon report by Nfonsam Glen, 27 October 2026Regulator
- Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code (English text, Presidency of the Republic)Law
- Loi n° 2010/012 du 21 décembre 2010 relative à la cybersécurité et à la cybercriminalité (ART copy)Regulator
- Loi n° 2010/021 du 21 décembre 2010 régissant le commerce électronique au Cameroun (MINCOMMERCE copy)Regulator
- Loi n° 2015/018 du 21 décembre 2015 régissant l'activité commerciale au Cameroun (MINCOMMERCE)Regulator
- Law No. 2024/017 of 23 December 2024 relating to personal data protection in Cameroon (English, PRC scan)Regulator
Also cited on this page
24 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.