Casinos in Rwanda – Is the future Online or Offline?

One of the smallest African countries, Rwanda is home to over twelve million people as estimated in 2019. This landlocked African country is famous for its magnificent scenery so there and it is commonly referred to as the Land of a Thousand Hills. Geographically very small, Rwanda is densely populated. As estimated, the country’s population will surpass thirty million by 2076.

Besides spectacular natural wonders, Rwanda is also home to thriving land-based gambling industry. The capital city of Kigali is where the Casino Games Rwanda Ltd-owned and operated Casino Kigali operates within the famed Lemigo Hotel. Located on the second floor of the Dmall Hotel is the New Oriental Casino with electronic roulette, table games, and slot machines. Another popular land-based casino is the Lydia Ludic Rwanda that opened its doors in January of 2014.

Online Casinos in Rwanda

Residents of one of the most picturesque African countries can enjoy casino gaming activities at many licensed, legitimate online casinos that offer hundreds of popular slot games and of course, the best classic table games such as Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat. If you are looking for the best online roulette casinos, visit roulettesites.org. Here, you will find everything you need to know about the best Rwandan online gambling sites that offer the best Roulette bonuses, live dealer Roulette games, reliable Roulette apps, and more in the safest online environments.

Gambling Laws in Rwanda

Rwanda is one of many African countries where land-based and online gambling activities are legal. All iGaming operators that want to offer their services and products to Rwandan gamers must obtain the required licenses and permits from the main government agency in Rwanda that is responsible for monitoring all activities of this kind, Lotto Rwanda. The same governmental agency is also responsible for overseeing the operation of all sorts of regulated, legalized gambling activities.

In Rwanda, there are no laws or regulations against online casino gaming activities so for Rwandan gamers, it is perfectly fine and legal to register and play at online casinos. Unlike many other countries, Rwanda is one of those countries that are heavily involved in expanding its iGaming and land-based casino gaming industry. The very first land-based casino in Rwanda was licensed by Lotto Rwanda not so long ago in 2008.

Since these times, the governmental agency has made good progress towards boosting and expanding the country’s gambling scene. Speaking of its land-based casino gaming scene, all sorts of casino gaming activities are legal. The country’s gambling legislation concerning land-based casinos consists of laws that regulate these activities and one of these laws is Law No.58 from 2011. According to this law, in particular, various forms of gambling at land-based casinos are perfectly legal. In addition, it grants a licensing system for online casino operators.

Law No.58/2011 also assigned a Rwandan Consultative Gaming Committee that today has one of the key roles when it comes to governing and advising the country’s authorities on different gambling practices and policies. Not much was done in this particular sector besides this licensing system in place. In other words, most online casino gaming activities in the country are yet to be fully regulated within the country’s current gambling regulations and laws framework.

Rwanda Online Casinos

While minors (under the age of eighteen) are prohibited from engaging in both land-based and online casino gaming activities, other residents of Rwanda can enjoy those activities at many land-based and online casinos. As mentioned at the beginning, the most visited land-based casino in the country is the Casino Kigali within the Lemigo Hotel in the capital city of Kigali. The venue is owned by a Rwandan company and operated by Solna Leisure Holdings Ltd. which is an international consulting and management company.

The Casino Kigali is yet to launch its online casino, so residents of Rwanda interested in online casino gaming activities have to turn to foreign, international online casinos and these are easily accessible. When it comes to online poker, there are no separate online poker regulations and laws and there are no licensed, specialized online poker websites. However, gamers can play online poker at foreign, international online casinos that include these games.

Lottery activities in the country are licensed and authorized under the Rwandan gambling laws and legislation and such activities are provided by the National Lottery. Since 2008, the Rwandan National Lottery conducts lotto draws every week. At the same time, there are no laws and regulations in place to regulate online lottery activities so this sector is still quite unregulated. On the other hand, those interested in online lottery activities can legally register at play at international, foreign lotto sites.

When it comes to bingo, there are no online bingo laws in place as well so this sector is also unregulated. Rwandan residents can play online bingo games at sites that are licensed and regulated elsewhere. International online casinos that warmly accept Rwanda gamers are not short on impeccable gaming libraries that commonly include:

  • Blackjack
  • Roulette
  • Baccarat
  • Video slots
  • Live Dealer Games
  • Bingo
  • Lottery
  • Online Poker

What the Future Holds for the Rwandan Casino Industry?

As mentioned in the previous sections, online casino gaming activities in the country were relatively recently legalized under Law No.58 that was passed by the Rwandan government in 2011. Before 2011, there were no specific regulations and laws in place to regulated the iGaming industry. According to the laws and regulations in place, iGaming operators must obtain licenses and permits from the Rwanda Gambling Board in order to start offering their services to Rwandan residents.

However, no local iGaming operator has done so and international online casinos remain the only option for Rwandan players to enjoy online casino gaming activities. This does not come as a surprise considering that the internet penetration rate in the country is very low with only thirty percent of the entire population being able to connect to the Internet. As estimated in 2021, there were over four million Internet users in the country which is an increase of 24% from 2020. https://newcasinos-au.com/casinos/pragmatic-play

Also estimated in 2021, there were over nine million mobile connections in the country and this is a significant increase from the earlier years. Considering these numbers, the Rwandan iGaming industry is not so profitable. At the same time, the introduction of a framework for iGaming sites in the country most certainly paves the route for international and local online casinos as well as potential foreign investors.

If the country’s Internet penetration rates increase, it is expected to see the growth of the iGaming sector. Another thing that can help the online industry to grow and expand is the fact that new mobile payment options are being introduced so gamers can easily deposit their online casino accounts. Even though Rwanda is far away from African gambling hotspots such as Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, its iGaming sector can grow if the right regulations are in place. If this happens, the future of the Rwanda casino gambling market is online.