Casinos in Gambia

Skip To The List of Casinos

Introduction

The Gambia is not known internationally for its casinos but there are a few scattered here and there throughout the country, mostly in the capital, Banjul. In this article, we’ll take a look at the country, the history of gambling in The Gambia, its current legal framework such as it is, and some of the popular casinos and games on offer.

It is a small country in West Africa and the smallest country on mainland Africa, home to just over 2 million people, with around 10% of the population working in the diaspora. The nation is nearly surrounded by Senegal except for a narrow Atlantic coastline. The Gambia River runs through the middle from the interior to the ocean, The river is the source of life for nature and the stretch has a lot of eco-diversity and different plants and wildlife. In areas like Kiang West National Park and Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve, you’ll find monkeys, leopards, hippos, hyenas, and many bird species not seen elsewhere. Banjul and nearby Serrekunda are also popular spots for beachgoers with a concentration of accommodations and entertainment near and along the shoreline.

History of Gambling

Commercial gambling in The Gambia doesn’t have much history, mainly because it is a predominantly Muslim nation so it hasn’t historically been an intricate part of local culture. As far as we can find, the first casinos began popping up in the 1990s. Then in 2015 by decree of the government, gambling was banned entirely in all forms. A mere two years later it popped right back up and was in full swing in a matter of days.

And today, much like before the former president’s action, a lot of gambling appears to be done in unregulated betting shops and small gambling dens scattered around the cities. Since both dominant social institutions in the country, The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, and The Gambia Christian Council, strongly oppose gambling, it’s not likely that the government will ever find the political will to truly organize and regulate the industry beyond the 14 casinos scattered about today.

We were able to find one financial services provider based in Oceania that claimed for several years to be a registered agent of The Gambia and had purported to offer business licenses in the online gaming sector, however, the information was at least marginally suspect.

As far as any evolution of online casinos there, no legal framework seems to exist for licensing, regulation, or consumer protection. If anything, laws might be passed restricting the activity or at best, providing some form of unenforceable consumer protections.

Legislation and Jurisdiction

There doesn’t seem to be legislation or jurisdiction aside from government “decrees”. The “president” who issued the gambling ban attained power at a young age through a coup and was physically removed from office a few days before the current, democratically elected president was sworn in. As the country is still transitioning from authoritarian rule, not much legislative progress is expected in the near future.

According to the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering (GIABA) (a FATF cohort), The Gambia Tourism Board (GTB) is responsible for the licensing and regulation of casinos. “It supervises casinos for prudential purposes”..

As of the group’s last assessment, The Gambia had 14 licensed casinos. They were seen as having a medium risk for money laundering, mostly because of the heavy reliance on cash as a medium, weak AML/CFT measures, and a weak licensing framework. The cross-border movement of tourists and funds connected to casino-based tourism furthers the risk. Many casinos reported low transaction volumes and relatively modest customer traffic, with some being small businesses. Based on their size and activity levels, the sector was rated moderately significant.

The Gambia struggles with full implementation of anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) guidelines but the volume of money flowing through casinos there doesn’t seem to be a high-level concern for international standards organizations. The regulatory framework has not fully gelled yet.

Popular Spots and Games

Most of the gambling action in The Gambia takes place in Banjul, the capital, and the nearby coastal towns like Kololi and possibly Kotu. Most casinos only offer slots but several have a full range of games like Texas Hold’em, roulette, blackjack, and of course slots.

Star Casino in the Duplex Complex at Seaview Plaza offers a lot of promotions and in-house perks. For example, when we visited from a distance we found Daily Cashback, 10,000GD ($145) promotional tickets nightly. Happy Hour with 100D ($1.46) minimum and 1,000 max bets for poker and 25D ($0.36) minimums on the roulette wheel.

Another popular spot is the Kololi Casino where you’ll rub shoulders with locals and tourists. It’s not a large casino but it has poker, blackjack, and slots. Kololi is part of of a larger resort complex.

Grand Casino Fajara in Serekunda has a loyal following with a full complement of casino games and a dance club next door in a connected building. Look for blackjack and plenty of international slots.

Sports betting is also popular in The Gambia like in most African nations, with football (soccer) betting seeing most of the action. You’ll find quite a few betting shops in Banjul and other towns. Online sports betting is picking up steam but mostly in the urban areas since internet coverage is sporadic in the outlying areas.

Online casinos are catching on at a rate roughly proportional to the internet and mobile data penetration but any market growth will likely be slow as even social media growth is abysmal compared to many other African nations. As infrastructure improves and mobile tech becomes more widespread online casino use is likely to increase.

The Gambia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s National Digital Economy Master Plan for 2024 through 2034 is based on ten pillars as follows:

• Digital infrastructure (including connectivity and systems)
• Digital government, services, data, and data management
• Digital financial services & inclusion
• Digital entrepreneurship & innovation
• Innovation and business ecosystems
• Digital literacy & skills
• Cybersecurity and Data Protection
• Digital policy, strategy, legal and regulatory matters
• Digital cooperation & partnership
• Digital advocacy & policy dialogue

Conclusion

The Gambia’s gambling industry is small and possibly finite but could hold potential for expansion as democracy coalesces and safe investment opportunities open up. The government is investing in infrastructure that could eventually support more tourism and with that stability often comes foreign investment.

As long as the world economy remains in growth, creating more middle-class and more affluent potential travelers, and if the government finds harmony and a balance between the wishes of societal leaders and the need for revenues, growth potential remains.

The government’s continued efforts to regulate the industry and get it in line with international standards will have a lot to do with any future successes. Enterprise zones for tourism with sunset clauses on corporate income tax and municipal taxes could factor into the equation.