🇲🇬For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Operating in Madagascar: 15% tax, ad limits
Land-based gambling is licensed. Online gambling is a grey market, though local casinos can now offer online games. Offshore sites are tolerated.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Madagascar is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker | Limited |
| Lottery | Licensed |
Regulator and player protection in Madagascar
Regulator
Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation
Application authority and enforcement body
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Advertising stance
Limited
Whether you can run TV / sponsorship / paid-social campaigns
Heads-up for operators
3 items · last change 8 Oct 2026
Government bill Projet de loi n° 019/2026 of 2 June 2026, on the regulation of gambling activities and gaming establishments, was deposited at the Assemblée nationale on 16 June 2026 to replace the 1971-era laws. It was not among the bills adopted at the session that followed (press), and no later stage is listed.
Calls for Urgent Online Gambling Regulation Intensify
Media reports pointed to the state's failure to regulate or tax the growing online market, which increased pressure on the government to act.
Source: 1
Comprehensive Online Gambling Framework Awaited
The government has acknowledged the need to modernize its 1971 laws to create a formal licensing and regulatory system for online gambling.
Source: 2
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Licence Types in Madagascar
3 licence types are listed for Madagascar; each says who issues it and what it covers.
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Licence | Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation | Five years | |
| Lottery Concession | Government | Statutory | |
| PMU horse-racing tote | Autorité Hippique pour les Courses et l'Élevage de Chevaux a Madagascar | Statutory |
Licensing model
Madagascar does not issue standalone online gambling licences. Instead, licensed land-based casinos are permitted to offer online games as an extension of their physical operations. This 'piggyback' model means pure-play online operators without a casino in the country cannot be licensed locally.
Gambling tax: 15% of GGR
Detail
A 15% GGR tax is cited from the 1995 Casino Act, but the current effective rate for both land-based and online operations requires verification from official 2026 sources.
Madagascar's gambling tax next to neighbours and nearby markets
Each bar is the headline operator tax as that country's own page states it, for Madagascar, the nearest other markets (marked “nearby”) that tax gross gaming revenue. Hover or tap a bar to see what it is made of.
Year-1 cost: fee schedule not yet published
Madagascar's compliance cost structure is not transparent, as there is no dedicated online gambling framework or published fee schedule. Costs are associated with obtaining a land-based casino licence.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Casino Licence Application Fee | no published fee schedule | Fees are determined by the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation but are not publicly listed. |
| Annual Casino Licence Fee | no published fee schedule | Annual fees are applicable but the amounts are not published. |
| Operator GGR Tax | Not confirmed (historically 15%) | A 15% GGR tax is cited from a 1995 law, but the current effective rate is unconfirmed. |
| AML/CFT Compliance Costs | Variable | Costs associated with implementing SAMIFIN directives for anti-money laundering. |
| Lottery Concession | State monopoly | Operated by La Loterie Nationale Malgache under a government concession. |
Year 1 estimate
Year 1 cannot be totalled: gov fee schedule not published
Costs are tied to establishing a land-based casino, as this is the only path to offering licensed online games. No public fee schedule is available.
Which foreign licences Madagascar accepts
All 8 foreign licences listed here are tolerated in Madagascar.
ToleratedMalta (MGA)
MGA-licensed operators are accessible to Malagasy players with no active enforcement or blocking.
United Kingdom (UKGC) · Alderney (AGCC) · Kahnawake (KGCB) · Anjouan · Isle of Man (GSC) · Gibraltar (GRA)
UKGC-licensed operators are accessible to players.
Curaçao (CGB)
Curaçao-licensed operators are widely accessible and popular in the offshore market.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses allowed
Inducement ads: Allowed
The regulatory framework for iGaming bonuses and promotions in Madagascar is not well-defined, as existing laws like the Gambling Act of 1998 were created for land-based operations. Oversight is handled by the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation, which has not issued specific online gaming promotion guidelines.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Allowed
- VIP schemes
- Allowed
- Loyalty schemes
- Allowed
- Cashback
- Allowed
Bonuses and retention tools are permitted due to a lack of specific prohibitions in the current legal framework. Offshore operators widely offer them to Malagasy players without any reported legal challenges.
What the operator can advertise
- Penalties
General non-compliance with the Gambling Act of 1998 could lead to license revocation.
While there is no regulator-prescribed disclaimer text, advertising must include 'responsible gaming disclosures'. There is also a general prohibition against marketing to minors.
How Madagascar enforces against unlicensed operators
Enforcement is focused on AML/CFT compliance for land-based casinos, with the financial intelligence unit (SAMIFIN) issuing directives. There is no active enforcement against offshore online operators, which remain unblocked and accessible to players.
- March 11, 2026: SAMIFIN, the financial intelligence unit, issued a new anti-money laundering directive for casinos.
- Ongoing: The government does not actively block access to offshore gambling websites, which indicates a policy of tolerance rather than active enforcement.
- December 2025: Media reports point to a lack of state control and tax capture from the unregulated online sector.
Market size: 0.01199B USD (2006)
Gross gaming revenue in Madagascar is approximately 12 million USD annually. The most popular form of gambling is Casino. Online gambling represents 5% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is Casino Colbert (Antananarivo).
Market breakdown by vertical
- Casino0.00793738B USD70.6%
- Lottery0.00330924B USD29.4%
Data is from 2006 and is the most recent comprehensive breakdown available; online market is nascent and separate 2025 estimates are unofficial.
GGR figure6
Licensed operators: ~5
As of 8 Oct 2026, approximately 5 operators hold an active licence in Madagascar. Size your entry against this base before committing capital.
Notable licensed operators
Casino Tana Plaza
Casino du Lemurien
La Loterie Nationale Malgache
PMU Madagascar
Traps operators hit in Madagascar
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.
Relying on a non-existent online licensing path
Madagascar does not offer standalone online gambling licences. Market entry is only possible for operators with a licensed land-based casino, which can then offer online games as an extension. Pure-play online operators cannot be licensed locally.
Assuming historical tax rates apply
The widely cited 15% GGR tax is based on a 1995 law. The current effective tax rate for both land-based and the new 'piggyback' online operations is not clearly defined in publicly available 2026 regulations, which creates financial uncertainty.
Underestimating AML compliance obligations
Despite a generally lax online environment, the financial intelligence unit, SAMIFIN, is actively issuing AML/CFT directives to licensed casinos. Operators must adhere to these financial monitoring and reporting standards.
Sources5
Timeline: rules in force
- March 2026
Financial Intelligence Unit Issues New AML Directive
SAMIFIN published a new directive for casinos, which tightens anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing requirements.
Source: 5
- November 2025
Telecom Regulator Pushes for Lower Internet Costs
ARTEC called for lower data prices, a move expected to fuel growth in the online gambling sector through greater accessibility.
Source: 9
- 1971
Foundational Gambling Laws Enacted
The core legal framework governing gambling in Madagascar was established and formed the basis for subsequent regulations.
Source: 5
Operator myths vs reality in Madagascar
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythMadagascar offers online gambling licences to international operators.
- MythBecause the online market is a grey area, there is no regulatory oversight.
- MythThe 1971 gambling law is irrelevant for modern operations.
Markets that work like Madagascar
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.
- United StatesResearched
Online casino, betting and poker limited; lottery licensed; licensed market.
- Côte d'IvoireAI overview
Online casino, betting and poker limited; lottery licensed; tax on GGR; foreign licences mostly tolerated.
- HungaryChecked
Online casino and poker limited; licensed market; GGR tax 10–20%.
- MoldovaChecked
Online casino and betting limited; lottery licensed; most ad channels banned.
- ArgentinaReviewed
Online casino and betting limited; lottery licensed; licensed market.
Methodology & sources
This page is a Quick AI overview: a summary of public information, not yet checked against the law or the regulator. Treat it as a starting point. It has not yet been through our Deep AI Scan.
How we researchAsk us to run the Deep AI Scan for Madagascar
Documents cited on this page
- iGaming Today - Madagascar Regulation
- 2424.mg - Council of Government on Gambling Law Reform
- allAfrica.com - Call for Online Regulation
- Focus Gaming News - ARTEC calls for lower internet prices
- Wikipedia - Gambling in Madagascar
- Assemblée nationale: Projet de loi n° 019/2026 du 02 juin 2026 (deposited 16 June 2026)
- Madagascar Tribune: only two bills adopted at the session (press)
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Madagascar (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Madagascar player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 8 Oct 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation. We are not a legal adviser.