Key points
- A GDJ notice of 12 February 2026 voided earlier gambling authorisations from 7 April 2026.
- The window for private operators to apply for licences under GDJ supervision closed on 2 March 2026.
- The GDJ has not named any operator approved under the new state-controlled system.
- Licence costs and the state’s share of operator revenue have not been published, according to Gabonreview.
Gabon’s state-owned gambling company, Gabonaise des Jeux (GDJ), has not named any business approved to operate under the Gabon gambling monopoly, more than six months after earlier authorisations, licences and declarations became invalid on 7 April 2026.
Gabon is a Central African country of about 2.65 million people on the Atlantic coast. The 7 April deadline appeared in a notice signed on 12 February by GDJ director general Roméo Nguema Ondo, which invited private operators to apply for gambling licences under the company’s supervision, Gabonreview reported. Applications closed on 2 March.
Gabon gambling monopoly and the 7 April cut-off
The GDJ holds the public concession for games of chance under ordinances n°0010/PR/2025 and n°0011/PR/2025 of 30 December 2025, according to the notice as reported by Gabonreview. Gabon Media Time reported that the Council of Ministers adopted the reform on 29 December 2025, abolished the Commission supérieure des jeux de hasard and its technical secretariat, and made the GDJ responsible for organising, operating and controlling lottery and betting activity under specifications set by the state.
The notice said earlier authorisations, licences and declarations would lapse after three months, from 7 April 2026. It described the selection procedure as “transparent, fair and rigorous” (translated from French). Gabon Media Time had reported the monopoly reform on 30 December 2025.
Applicants had to show compliance with national rules on excessive gambling, the protection of minors, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, and operational security. The notice also required proven technical, financial and organisational capacity.
What the GDJ has published
The GDJ held its first board meeting on 7 August 2026 and adopted a strategic plan, budgets and internal rules, according to Gabonreview’s report of 15 August. No financial figures were released. Gabonreview reported that no companies had been selected at that point.
Bonjean Mbandza, chair of the GDJ board, wrote on LinkedIn that the meeting was the outcome of the president’s vision and described the GDJ as a matter of “national sovereignty” (translated from French). Nguema Ondo said the company reflects the “ambitions of a strong and sovereign state” (translated from French).
Questions on fees and control
Gabonreview listed what remains unanswered: the cost of a licence, the share of operator revenue paid to the state through the GDJ, the real volume of bets placed in Gabon, and the current role of e-Tech, the company tasked around 2025 with centralising gambling transactions.
Gabon Media Time reported that the December 2025 reform sets out to cut revenue leakage, secure gambling receipts and improve the traceability of flows.
The application window closed on 2 March 2026. The GDJ has not published the outcome.
