Mobile Money and the Rebuilt Rwandan Sportsbook Market

Rwanda's betting market spent more than a year on pause. Licensing was suspended in June 2024 for a policy review, affecting both new applicants and operators seeking renewals. In July 2026, the Rwanda Development Board licensed three foreign operators: Betway and ForteBet for online sports betting and casino, and ElephantBet for online sports betting only. Every one of them depends on mobile money to reach players.

MTN MoMo and Airtel Money Carry the Market

MTN MoMo and Airtel Money serve as the main payment rails for Rwandan betting sites. MTN's service had 5.8 million active users by September 2025, and its MoMoPay network reached 577,000 active merchants by late 2025. Local operators build around these rails. Gorilla Games, run by Cheza Rwanda Games Limited, offers USSD betting through *878# with MTN MoMo and Airtel Money. MTN also moved its mobile money arm into a separate company in 2021 to meet National Bank of Rwanda rules.

Regulators Want to See the Money Move

The reforms started with a data problem. A 2023 internal report found weak enforcement, underreporting of earnings and a lack of digital oversight systems. Rwanda's 2024 gambling policy requires operators to use licensed software that reports revenue directly to regulators. A payment gateway now serves two masters. Authorities plan to use digital tools to track gambling activity in real time and reduce tax evasion. Each deposit and payout must reach the player and the regulator's records correctly.

Higher Taxes Change the Payment Maths

Gross gaming revenue tax rose from 13% to 40%, while withholding tax on player winnings increased from 15% to 25%. Every mobile money payout now carries that 25% deduction before cash reaches the wallet. Analysts see risks in the new rates. H2 Gambling Capital warned that the higher taxes would likely push players toward unregulated sites.

Built Around the Phone

Rwanda's rebuilt market pairs heavy taxes with mobile money habits already in place. The RDB website has no public, regularly updated list of licensed operators, so players need to check each bookmaker's licence details themselves. One caution: Uganda's gateway rollout status varies between sources, and reports on Kenya's licence term (one year or three) conflict. I left out the licence term and phrased the Uganda status carefully. I can also turn these into Claude Docs for editing and sharing.