Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Ghana and the Ivory Coast, among others. Once was a French colony, from which it gained its independence in 1960 under the name of ‘Upper Volta’. French is the official language, although it’s not widely spoken; mainly because over 50 native languages exist in the country. Much political turbulence followed the independence until late 2015; since then, the country has experienced peace and relative stability. Locals love sports, especially football.
Ouagadougou also hosted the 1998 African Cup of Nations. Gambling in Burkina Faso is legal in all its forms, despite not having a complete regulatory framework. All entities must acquire a license from the Ministry of Finance in order to operate. Sports betting is also legal and monopolized by the national lottery, LONAB. This does not mean that this is the only option though; thankfully, Burkina Faso allows most online bookies’ operation. So, they accept local punters while providing a wide coverage of all major sports and markets.
Best Betting Sites in Burkina Faso
Despite not having locally licensed bookies, there is a vast array of international operators that accept local punters; so, we list the best bookmakers in Burkina Faso, who stand out for the wide coverage of the biggest football leagues, and for the various offers and special features they come with.
Bet Burkina Faso - 5 Things to Know
- 1 All forms of gambling are legal in Burkina Faso
- 2 Online betting is legal, yet not regulated
- 3 There are bookmaker shops, and many online bookies accept local players
- 4 The national lottery is the only local operator offering some sports betting
- 5 The legal Burkina Faso gambling age is 18
General info
⏩Population: 22.000.000
⏩Active players: 2.700.000
⏩Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
⏩Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, casino, lotteries
⏩Operator types: Lottery, casinos, bookmaker shops, unlicensed online bookies & casinos
⏩Designated authority: No specific authority, only the Ministry of Finance
⏩Status: Regulated
Sports Betting in Burkina Faso
If we had to put a title here, that would be easy; because all forms of gambling in Burkina Faso are legal. Legislation covering the gaming scene began as early as 1967, a few years after the country’s independence. Ordinances no. 67025 of 1967 and no. 8443 of 1984 allowed the national lottery to offer sports betting in Burkina Faso.
The 2008 and 2014 acts mainly added small amendments and details. The prevailing idea remains the same, there is nothing illegal in terms of gambling. As for those who want to bet online, Burkina Faso does not disappoint. There is no law or act yet referring to the online environment; however, in its absence, it is not illegal either.
Apart from the national lottery which could soon be offering some online betting, there are no locally licensed operators. There is no licensing procedure either since the law does not cover that area yet. Still, players may freely access any licensed online Burkina Faso bookmaker. The Ministry of Finance is supervising the sector, without yet establishing a specific authority.
Players should not fear prosecution since the state does not bother surveilling the low in terms of active users on the internet. All in all, a very welcoming environment awaits players; as for international operators, they, too, have no fear of blocking or anything like that. Everything runs freely and smoothly, awaiting a possible future regulation.
Essential Info for Bettors
All forms of gambling are legal. Sports betting is very popular among locals, especially football. Despite not being regulated, players do not face any restrictions when betting in Burkina Faso. Apart from the monopolistic betting services of the national lottery, remember that there are many more online options.
An online bookmaker in Burkina Faso provides many more betting options than the land-based offering does. Both in terms of sports coverage as well as special bets and offers. In the absence of a gambling authority, however, it is very crucial to bet at legitimate operators. Without locally licensed sites, there are quite a few scams which players must avoid.
Simply because, if a problem comes up, there will be no one to stake a claim at. Thankfully, there is an easy way out of this mess. If you can’t spot them, just take no risks; keep betting online in Burkina Faso with any of the operators we list; which are all totally legit, holding licenses from the most prevalent authorities worldwide.
How to Deposit at Online Bookies
Naturally, since no form of gambling is illegal, bank transactions and credit cards are an everyday practice. Moreover, most Burkina Faso betting sites provide alternative payment methods; like e-wallets ecoPayz and Jeton, both accepting Burkinabé players. They’re offering fast and secure transactions and an easy-to-use interface.
Skrill and Neteller, on the other hand, do not operate in the country. As for the emerging crypto online gambling that many talk about; well, the low internet penetration does not allow much of this talk here. However, it’s always good to get to know new technologies and advances. And maybe one day, the Burkina Faso betting scene will catch up on that too.
Gambling Laws in Neighbouring Countries
⏩ Ivory Coast: All forms of gambling, with the exception of sports betting, are prohibited. Although one company, LONACI, possesses a valid license, the application process is not clearly defined. Consequently, many individuals opt to register on international Ivory Coast betting sites.
⏩ Benin: At present, there is no specific regulatory authority established in Benin to oversee online gambling. This absence does not render Benin online gambling illegal. There is no legislation in place that explicitly prohibits it, thereby allowing players to register and utilize the services offered by international bookmakers freely.
⏩ Nigeria: is widely recognized as one of the prominent countries in Africa with regard to gambling. Despite the presence of numerous local operators, many individuals favour international sportsbooks due to their competitive odds and diverse offers. To explore a comprehensive list of foreign betting sites that accept Nigerian players, we recommend referring to our article.
Burkina Faso Betting: What the Future Holds
Sports betting in Burkina Faso is very popular; it’s actually the most popular form of gambling among players. However, the turning point regarding the Burkina Faso online betting scene would be a proper regulatory framework.
Despite the rather obvious need towards that direction, we can’t risk a prediction on that matter; simply because both online operators and the state seem to be ok with the situation as it stands. Taxes in favor of the state and local licensing for operators sounds like a win-win situation. Only time will show if both sides actually think the same as well.
The answer here is a straight yes. Gambling is legal in all forms and shapes, despite the fact that the Burkina Faso online betting sector is not particularly regulated; still though, it is considered to be absolutely legal for Burkinabé players to access any online operator to place their bets.
It might not hold a local license, yet still, it happily accepts local players. Widely covering all major football events from around the world, Bet365 also stands out from the crowd with its special features; like cash out and live betting. For sure, one of the best bookies one can choose.
While many players think that it is a long and tricky process to sign up with an online bookies, this is definitely not the case. It is smooth and easy, while the usual steps, more or less the same at most Burkina Faso bookies, will include: provide your name and residence address, an email address, and upload your ID; then choose a deposit method to fund your account and basically that’s all there is to do.
1xbet happily accepts local players; it stands out with a 98%+ payout on the biggest football leagues. It also offers various betting options on all major sports; along with its numerous special bets and offers, it’s guaranteed to cover everything you ask for.
Paypal, one of the major online payment platforms, accepts Burkinabé sign ups; however, since it is not allowed to be used for online gambling in Burkina Faso, you should try other available options. Ecopayz and Jeton operate in your country, and are equally trustworthy and user-friendly platforms.