Best Online Casinos - Cameroon

Land-based gambling is legal in Cameroon. The industry abides by the laws laid out in Law No. 2015/012 of July 16, 2015, which regulates entertainment games, money games, and games of chance. The Ministry of Territorial Administration (MINATD) is responsible for overseeing gambling activities in Cameroon.

Creating the legal framework around the volatile industry presented its challenges for the emerging African market in Cameroon. One major problem to tackle was that before 2015, the industry was not regulated at all and there were no precedents or guidelines to follow. The legislators had to research the practices adopted by other African markets, but usually such research is not enough on its own. Local culture, history, and habits have to be taken into account, too.

Plus, the legislators had to balance the economical and social concerns. Pulling the gambling industry out of the shadow and into the regulated market is usually great for the economy as taxes start pouring in. Job market and tourism tend to be two adjacent industries that usually benefit from gambling becoming legal. At the same time, any move in the direction of embracing gambling nationwide raises concerns about gambling addiction, crime, and its impact on families and communities. Finding a balance between fostering economic growth and protecting citizens from the potential harms of gambling would have required careful planning and consultation.

These days, any business that wants to offer Cameroonians any betting or gambling services, must apply to be cleared by the state. The applicant receives a concession to run casinos, betting shops, and lotteries in exchange for a business plan, background and financial check, and paying state fees.

Gambling activities are subject to a 25% tax on gross winnings, excluding gaming machines. Additionally, businesses operating gaming machines are required to pay an annual fee per machine, ranging from XAF 20,000 to XAF 100,000, depending on the size of the business.

Is online gambling legal in Cameroon?

Online gambling is legal in Cameroon, and it is one of the rare cases of African countries actually having this in legal writing — online gambling is governed by Law No. 2015/012 of July 16, 2015, and its implementing decree, Decree No. 2019/2300/PM of July 18, 2019. The governing body in charge of regulating the online gambling industry is MINATD. 

In many ways, the vetting process is very similar for online gambling parlors. They must get licensed, and the steps to receiving a permit are:

• Having a physical presence in Cameroon.
• Providing a bank guarantee of XAF 200,000,000 (approximately $310,000).
• Ensuring the website's domain ends with ".cm".
• Implementing data protection measures for users.
• Using online payment service providers for transactions.
• Obtaining civil liability insurance coverage.

The authorization is valid for five years and is non-transferable. Online gambling operators are subject to a 25% tax on gross winnings, similar to land-based gambling.

The currency of Cameroon is the Central African CFA franc, abbreviated as XAF. This is the currency one would normally find in any online lobby licensed and regulated by MINATD. However, should a Cameroonian venture off to play games of chance to make bets in any of the international lobbies, chances of finding XAF are practically non-existent. We’ve been reviewing international online casinos for more than a decade and have explored more than 5,000 lobbies. We would say that less than 1% of those international platforms offer XAF.

This should not discourage Cameroonian players. The majority of these international lobbies will offer USD, which means that with a small conversion fee, gambling would still be a convenient process. Alternatively, a lot of modern places to bet and win have embraced crypto, and so have the players. BTC and other tokens are rapidly growing in popularity as they are all decentralized, support speedy transactions both ways (for deposits and withdrawals), and come with relatively small fees.

As for the payment methods, cards that are very popular in Cameroon are broadly available in 99% of the international lobbies. These include options like MasterCard, Visa, and Maestro. Many sites would also offer Skrill among the accepted e-wallets, and even sometimes M-Pesa. Plus, quite a few great platforms are relying on Western Union and MoneyGram. ApplePay and GooglePay can also sometimes be among the options, next to bank transfers.

Pre-colonial Cameroon is known for embracing games of chance by the local communities. These were rarely formalized and rather served as rituals played during festivities and special events. In certain communities, games involving dice or betting on outcomes of events (like animal fights or sporting contests) were common. In some cultures, betting was tied to agricultural practices or livestock.

The post-colonial state shifted focus largely on betting activities like horse racing — it was extremely popular with the German, French, and British colonial powers that took over Cameroon. Elite and colonial settlers were known for regularly engaging in poker and baccarat, too. The colonial administration introduced various forms of organized betting, including lotteries.

Given the rich and complex history of the country, its betting preferences are aligned with the past. Till this day, Cameroonians are thoroughly fond of sports betting, racing in particular. They do, however, appreciate modern games of chance.

Do Cameroonians like slots?

Yes, reeled adventures are among the most popular types of entertainment chosen by local gamers. Luckily, via international Cameroonians have access to all the trending online slots and the variety of their features: free spins, pick-and-click rounds, multipliers, Megaways, and other types of reels. Reeled adventures exploring African culture are among the most popular but the players are also fond of classic reels, adventures, mythology, and other themes.

Are there live games?

Once again, affirmative. Players from the country in question have access to a vast selection of booming live dealer games. This type of content has the appeal of both worlds— the classic glamour of offline dealers and social interaction and the convenience of gaming on the go. From live roulette and baccarat to poker, blackjack, and game shows, the players will be able to choose their favorite content.