DRC Wires E-Money Firms Into a National Gambling Platform

The Democratic Republic of Congo is rebuilding gambling oversight around a single digital system. The reform, run by the Ministry of Finance under Council of Ministers decisions since 2024 and 2025, links payment firms and betting operators to one supervision platform.

E-money institutions went first. By July 2026, most had completed technical integration, while betting operators were still being connected. A draft gambling law sits before Parliament.

One Ministry in Charge

The government settled a turf question in September 2026. On 3 September, the Ministry of Finance said gambling regulation falls exclusively under its authority. The text removed gaming and lottery powers from the Ministry of Sports and Leisure for good.

Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba set out the ministry's reach. Registration, regulation and collection of gambling duties, taxes and fees all fall under his ministry. The rules cover sports betting companies, casinos, lotteries and prediction contest organisers.

The CSJA and the Future ARJA

An interim body runs the reform. The Gambling Surveillance Unit (CSJA) was created by ministerial order on 29 January 2026, pending a permanent Gambling Regulatory Authority (ARJA). The CSJA brings payment and telecom regulators together. Members include the Ministry of Portfolio, the national lottery SONAL, security services, the Central Bank of Congo and the telecoms regulator ARPTC.

The unit's leaders frame the reform around trust. CSJA coordinator Dieudonné Ntumba called for close cooperation between the state and operators to support fair competition and fight financial crime. The DRC also sits on the FATF grey list.

How the Platform Works

The national platform is the core tool. A technical partner selected through public procurement is deploying it, and the system holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. Officials say it will improve transparency, traceability and security across gambling activity.

Monitoring is the stated goal. At a 30 May 2026 meeting in Kinshasa, official Didier Bobwa said the platform would let the ministry track operators' transactions and activities. Payment firms sit at the front of the queue. The technical integration of most e-money institutions was complete by July 2026, and operator integration followed a CSJA schedule.

Deadlines and Incentives

Operators faced two dates. All gambling companies had to identify themselves to the ministry by 31 July 2026, and the pilot phase ended on 30 August 2026.

The ministry offered a reward for early integration. Operators connected to the platform receive an exemption from the standardised invoice requirement and avoid the reform's sanctions. Those without the required steps face administrative measures and penalties.

Warnings Against Unofficial Collectors

The ministry also moved against parallel demands. Any licence, authorisation, payment order or other act issued by an unauthorised body carries no legal effect.

Operators received clear instructions. They should ignore payment demands or inspections from unauthorised services and report them to the Ministry of Finance and DGRAD. The ministry also told operators not to sign contracts with any state body lacking an express Council of Ministers mandate. Operators have welcomed parts of the plan. PixLab RDC praised the reform for promising a more structured environment.

Payments First, Law Second

The DRC reform starts with payment data rather than a finished legal framework. E-money firms are already connected, betting operators are joining, and the ARJA awaits a law still before Parliament.