Casinos in Madagascar

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Introduction

Madagascar is an island country off the southeastern coast of Africa made up of a main island and several smaller islands. It’s the second-largest island country and the fourth-largest island in the world. You might recall the casino scene from the animated movie Madagascar, where the penguins run the tables in a casino. The movie used creative license to show one aspect of the country, but there is a real-life gambling industry in Madagascar. It may never become the Macau of Africa, but it still offers a variety of high-quality gaming venues to spice up a trip there for the wildlife viewing or as a primary reason to visit that you can augment with exploring this amazingly huge and hilly island full of lemures and other extraordinary nature.

History of Gambling in Madagascar

Gambling has been legal in the country since 1971 when the government introduced regulations to allow casinos to operate. None of the casinos were very large, just big enough to take care of the needs of tourists visiting the island’s main cities like Antananarivo and coastal draws like Nosy Be. Even to this day, there are no mega-casinos on the island with the largest offering less than 200 slots and under a dozen gaming tables.

While the casinos may not draw too many tourists specifically for gambling they have been and remain an important part of the country’s tourist economy both as attractors and as revenue generators. With a limited infrastructure system and changing political situation a climate to nurture gambling growth never really took hold.

Even though there hasn’t been any rapid growth in building new and bigger resorts and casinos, the industry is still moving forward. The government has shown interest in expanding the industry. The economy is built around tourism and agriculture with the tourism part of the equation growing faster than agriculture. There is plenty of room for more people to visit but no more land left to expand. Vanilla and cloves seem to be the most prolific and profitable renewable resources other than tourist footfall. Rare hardwood species have been harvested for export to China but that is not a sustainable model for economic growth.

International businesspeople are looking more at the country as a place to invest in tourism and especially in casinos, and the government seems to be taking the cue in attempts to modernize Madagascar's gambling law to accommodate them.

According to the US Department of State, Madagascar's Investment Law permits full foreign ownership of businesses and land, with no legal obligation for Malagasy citizens to hold shares in foreign investments. However, once they have you roped in they don’t want to let you go so exit taxes and other end-of-investment life penalties are in place. Those policies would likely need to change before any sea change in investments in the casino industry or other sectors would come to pass.

Legislation and Jurisdiction

Madagascar's gambling regulations have been in place since the early 1970s. The government began updating laws in 2022 in order to catch up with the changing gaming industry. One important development was a pathway for online gambling. While it is perfectly legal, it’s a complicated issue just as it is in all countries that codified their gambling laws before the internet came along. When looked at for possibility, the pre-existing (1971) gambling laws seem to support online gambling, but there isn’t an existing system for licensing or regulating online platforms.

That’s why the government is working to revise the laws to allow land-based casino operators to extend their licenses to include online casino games. Unfortunately for the operators, at this point, Madagascar doesn’t have a unified licensing process for iGaming. So, while existing operators can technically offer games of chance online there is no meaningful Madagascar licensing or oversight authority to give consumers peace of mind or to keep operators in line. Investment in that climate is not likely and players would be better off visiting online operators licensed in Malta, the Caribbean, or elsewhere no matter how much nostalgia for Madagascar and brand loyalty may call them to visit online.

The Ministry of Tourism issues land casino licenses just as it oversees other entertainment and hospitality in the country. You’ll only need to be 18 years old to enter a casino and play. Popular tourist spots like Nosy Be and Antananarivo have several licensed casinos offering table games and slot machines along with other entertainment amenities.

Popular Spots and Games

Popular gambling spots in Madagascar include several legacy casinos and a mix of gaming experiences. The Hôtel De l'Avenue & Casino is a second-floor casino inside the hotel, with slot machines, poker tables, and billiards. I

Casino Madagascar operates several popular venues, including the Carlton Casino, Hotel Mellis, and Casino Alliance, all under the banner of the Casino Du Grand Cercle de Tananarive, established in 1969. Another spot is the Grand Cercle de Diego, if you are looking for a classic casino experience.

The Colbert Hotel Spa & Casino is a four-star property in the capital, Antananarivo. You’ll find an upscale venue with three bars, three restaurants, and over 100 rooms styled in French elegance. The casino has three gaming rooms with about 150 slot machines, two electronic roulette machines, and one video poker machine. There are also six progressive poker machines. Table gamers will find roulette and games like blackjack and poker. Visitors can also enjoy a bar and express restaurant.

Conclusion

Madagascar’s gambling industry holds promise for new operators and all players. With a history dating back to the early 1970s and the government’s more recent focus on modernizing the legal framework, the industry is still growing, but it’s growing slowly. Ongoing legislative reforms, especially for online gambling point toward Madagascar possibly becoming a heftier player in Africa's gambling world in a few short years. That’s not likely to happen until the online sector is regulated and international standards for money laundering and anti-terrorist financing can be implemented fully. With the right legal updates and investments Madagascar could see an expanded gambling industry sooner rather than later.