Sierra Leone gambling industry it is a West African country bordered by Liberia, Guinea, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The British colonized the land but gained independence in 1961, and its official language was English. Freetown is the country’s capital and also the largest city.
Their currency is called Leone (SLL). Unfortunately, a civil war started in 1991 and lasted till 2002, significantly affecting the country’s economy. The West African country has a population of over 8 million people.
Gambling is legal in all of its varieties in the country and has over 1 million active players. Although there is no specific body or authority overseeing gambling in the country, the Leonean gambling legislation has several laws regulating gambling activities. “One of them is the Lotteries Ordinance from 1959, which makes various legal forms of land-based gambling in the country.
However, online gambling is not regulated in the country and is not a potential online gambling market, with its internet penetration being one of the lowest in the continent. That said, Sierra Leone has been home to several online betting operators licensed under the country’s current laws to provide betting services.
Units within the Ministry of Finance supervise land-based activities in the country and function as an official authorized body for granting licenses for the organization and operation of games of chance in Sierra Leone.
Online Casino in Sierra Leone
With little or no regulation in the country for online casinos, mortar and brick are legal casinos. Intending operators must obtain a gambling license before the National Tourist Board issues the operation; however, the board does not actively supervise casinos. The need for monitoring and regulatory body for casino gambling is being carried out under the Ministry of Finance.
There are some licensed land-based casino operators. The Legoonda casino complex is operated by Dubai-based Games World International which features state-of-the-art slot machines and traditional games.
Also, they can play some online casino games on the official betting provider of the country Mercury International. The Bintumani Hotel and Casino in Aberdeen Hill District is one of the very few legal and licensed casinos in the country, which is located in the country’s capital Freetown. In contrast, poker games are a legal part of land-based casino offerings. Foreign casino sites can also be easily accessible from within the country.
Online Lottery in Sierra Leone
Like online gambling and casinos, the online lottery is also not regulated. Although there are no online platforms for punters, there has always been a long tradition of land-based lotto games.
The Sierra Leone state lottery Company (SLSLC) was established under the Companies Act (CAP 249 of laws of Sierra Leone, 1960) on the 10th of December 1962 to provide affordable and varied games of chance for the country’s bettors.
They offer several lotto games, the most popular of which include Mini 5 double and Pik6/49. There are also few operators in the country conducting all legal sports betting, including lottery products for the country’s punters.
The State Lottery Company offers six different lottery games. Mercury International, one of the very few legal operators, provides a 5/90 lottery game in Sierra Leone.
Online sports betting in Sierra Leone
Sports betting in the country is legal. However, limited operators are offering online betting. Mercury International and Sierra Leone State Lottery Company (SLSLC) are the two legal and licensed most famous operators in the country that offer online sports betting.
They provide betting options for bettors, like football games and local horse and dog races. Foreign betting sites are also freely accessible in the country, but they are barely popular because of the low internet penetration rate in the country.
Conclusion Although the Sierra Leone economy is gradually picking up after the negative effect of the civil war, the economy is slowly improving. Also, rumour has it that there might be an upcoming gambling regulation. With time the Sierra Leone betting market might get the required boost for an enabling betting market for both operators and bettors.
