Tug-of-war in Kinshasa: DRC’s shaky regulatory regime
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) gaming sector is adrift without an official regulatory body. Legally, the Ministry of Finance a relatively new player in this scene, holds the mandate to oversee betting; however, the Ministry of Sports and Leisure has identified loopholes in the written laws and claims the same authority. Hovering alongside these two ministries sits SONAL, the National Lottery, which enjoyed a monopoly for a period of time, issuing licences to operators.
The result is a triangle of overlapping power where licences flow from three different desks, often for the very same activity, and operators scramble to guess who has the last word.
Conflicting licences, confused operators
“The SONAL has some sort of silent agreement with the Ministry of Finance. So, for any operators who are licenced by the Ministry of Finance, they have to go through SONAL as well. But for any operators who the ministry of sports has licenced have no obligations to follow up with the Ministry of Finance,” Joel Madingu from Velex Advisory tells SiGMA.
That admission lays bare the fractured chain of command. One set of companies carries certificates stamped by both the and SONAL; another group waves licences issued only by the Ministry of Sports and Leisure. With three bodies having the authority to licence operators, and no separate jurisdictions like those in countries like Nigeria, it begs the question: who really calls the shots?
Parliament stalls on single regulator
Recognising the disorder, lawmakers have opened law project hearings aimed at drafting legislation for an independent regulatory authority. Proceedings inch forward, but progress remains elusive. No date has been fixed for a vote, and no text has reached the floor. Inside the industry, the mood is sceptical; with doubts that a single, clearly empowered regulator will emerge any time soon.
Meanwhile, the licensing gridlock continues. Each new operator deciding to enter the Congolese market must choose a gatekeeper, accept dual expenses for multiple certificates, or delay entry entirely. The absence of coherent oversight also limits foreign investment, as investors hesitate to back projects whose legal footing could shift overnight.
Two heads, no crown: tech deals deepen the divide
In an era when compliance platforms and real-time monitoring define modern gambling oversight, the DRC has commissioned not one but two rival technology projects. Over the past few months, both ministries issued legal certificates authorising companies to build a national customer-relationship-management (CRM) system for the sector.
The conflict escalated when the Ministry of Sports and Leisure announced on 19 June 2025, the signing of a memorandum of understanding for a public-private partnership with Burundi’s East African General Trade Company (EAGT) to develop a CRM system.
Barely a week later, Sharp Vision, a digital solutions company based in France, to design, deploy, and support the national platform for the regulation of online gaming.
Industry between a rock and a hard place
“Even if the current authorities reach an agreement and we have an official regulatory body, it’s going to be difficult. Do we cancel all the licences awarded to certain operators within the country, or do we cancel all the licences for all the operators? It leaves the industry between a rock and a hard place,” says Joel. His question touches the core of the crisis: should a future regulator cancel all the licences awarded to certain operators, or wipe the slate clean? Either path could trigger a domino effect of results, that may include a temporary shutdown of operations.
SONAL’s possible future
If a new authority finally gains legal footing, will revert to a narrower role. The lottery company would remain an operator, running draws and instant-win products, but lose the power to license external firms. That change, however, hinges on parliamentary action that shows no sign of urgency.
Stakes for stability
As it stands, the DRC is a battle of power, corruption, and instability. Having an official regulatory body will reinforce the country’s gaming industry stability. For players, the current standoff means murky consumer protections; for the state, it means forfeited tax revenue; for companies, it means legal ambiguity that deters long-term planning and investment.
A unified regulator, if it materialises, could harmonise licence categories, establish clear compliance rules, and select a single technology spine for monitoring. Until then, Kinshasa’s tug-of-war continues, leaving the industry to navigate overlapping signatures and shifting loyalties in one of Africa’s most promising yet perplexing gaming markets.
