At the end of the Council of Ministers on January 29, 2026, Roméo Nguema Ondo was appointed Director General of the Gabonese Games (GDJ). With more than 20 years of experience in finance and auditing, he is responsible for leading the strategic reform of the gambling sector, now placed under the exclusive monopoly of the State, in order to make it a lever for public revenues, social regulation, and the financing of actions of general interest.
By decree taken by the Council of Ministers on January 29, 2026, the President of the Republic appointed Roméo Nguema Ondo as Director General of Gabonaise des Jeux (GDJ), a state-owned company with an exclusive monopoly on the organization, operation, and management of gambling in the Gabonese Republic.
This decision marks a major step in the overhaul of the gaming sector, which is at the heart of the structural reforms undertaken by the highest authorities of the State. Long fragmented and poorly regulated, this sector with high economic and social stakes is now the subject of a sovereign takeover aimed at optimizing its governance, profitability, and social impact.
The creation of the Gabonaise des Jeux, followed by the appointment of its first Director General, reflects the desire of the Head of State, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, to thoroughly reorganize a strategic area for public finances. The stated objective is clear: to put an end to fragmented management, strengthen regulation, and ensure better mobilization of revenues from games of chance and gambling for the benefit of the public treasury.
The reform is based on a global approach, articulating economic performance, financial transparency, and social responsibility. In particular, it aims to secure and trace financial flows, while strengthening the fight against illicit practices and more strictly regulating an activity presenting high social risks, particularly in terms of addiction and the protection of vulnerable populations.
Roméo Nguema Ondo holds a master’s degree in finance and accounting, and has more than twenty years of professional experience acquired in Gabon and France, notably within a leading international firm, world leader in auditing and consulting. His career has been marked by a strong culture of governance, financial discipline, risk control, and organizational performance.
These are all assets that make him responsible for leading the structuring and ramp-up phase of the GDJ. The mission entrusted to him goes beyond simple operational management: it is a question of building a modern, efficient, and exemplary public company based on transparency, responsibility, and accountability.
Beyond the financial stakes, the reform aims to reposition the gaming sector as a public policy instrument in its own right. The revenue generated is expected to make a lasting contribution to the financing of actions of general interest, particularly in the social, educational, health, and cultural fields, in line with national development priorities.
In this perspective, the Gabonese Games is called upon to become a model of a reformed public company, aligned with international management standards, while remaining deeply rooted in the requirements of national sovereignty, social responsibility, and protection of the general interest.
As a reminder, the Gabonaise des Jeux (GDJ) is a state company created by Ordinance No. 0011/PR/2025 of December 30, 2025, taken pursuant to Ordinance No. 0010/PR/2025 of December 30, 2025, regulating entertainment, gambling, and games of chance in the Gabonese Republic.
This legal framework enshrines gambling as an activity under the monopoly of the State, exercised exclusively by the Gabonaise des Jeux, and places the sector in a logic of strengthened public governance, social responsibility, and contribution to national development.
