Madagascar is preparing a major overhaul of its gambling sector, with a new draft law proposing a unified national framework for land-based and online gambling, a minimum gambling age of 21 and a complete ban on betting on credit.
Draft Law No. 019/2026 was introduced by the Ministry of Interior and Decentralization and adopted by the National Assembly during its second extraordinary session. The proposal would replace Madagascar’s existing 1971 gambling law and a decree introduced in February 2026.
The bill has not yet become law, but would represent the country’s biggest regulatory reset of its gambling sector in more than five decades.
Online gambling gets its own category
The proposed framework divides real-money gambling into five categories, each requiring separate authorisation.
Casino gaming in hotels rated at least three stars would fall into the first category, while standalone casinos and amusement arcades would form the second.
Sports and animal betting, lotteries and scratch cards would make up the third category, while online and network-based gambling would be regulated separately under category four.
A fifth category would also cover gambling activities not otherwise included in the main classifications.
The proposed system would bring licensing and oversight under a more unified structure, including specific rules for online operators.
Players would need to be 21 or older
Player protection is another major element of the proposed legislation.
The bill would raise or establish the minimum gambling age at 21, with operators required to verify both a player’s age and legal capacity before allowing them to gamble.
Licensed operators would also have to provide tools designed to limit excessive gambling, including self-exclusion options, deposit limits and restrictions on playing time.
One of the clearest restrictions would be a ban on credit betting. Operators would not be allowed to lend money to players, while players would also be prohibited from lending funds to one another for gambling purposes.
Online gambling platforms would additionally be prevented from advertising or linking to lending services.
New online monitoring platform planned
The draft also proposes a national monitoring platform operated under the Ministry of Interior.
The system would be responsible for overseeing online real-money gambling activity and collecting relevant data, giving authorities a central mechanism for monitoring the digital gambling sector.
The framework would also introduce stronger anti-money laundering requirements, with breaches potentially resulting in immediate licence revocation.
Tougher penalties for operators
The proposed enforcement regime combines administrative measures with criminal penalties.
Operators breaching player-protection requirements would initially receive one month to correct the violation. Failure to comply could lead to a three-month licence suspension, followed by permanent revocation if the issue remains unresolved.
Once a licence is revoked, the operator, its partners and shareholders could be prevented from opening a new gambling venue for 10 years.
The draft also proposes fines of between 10 million and 30 million Ariary for unauthorised gambling advertising. More serious offences, including laundering gambling proceeds and fraudulent online gambling operations, could result in prison sentences of between one and five years, alongside fines of up to 50 million Ariary.
Failure to connect to the national online monitoring platform could also become a criminal offence, carrying a potential prison sentence of three months to three years.
Existing operators face a transition period
If adopted, the new legislation would give existing gambling operators one year to bring their businesses into compliance.
That would include renewing their licences through the Ministry of Interior and meeting the new regulatory requirements.
For Madagascar, the proposed law would mark a significant shift from its decades-old gambling framework towards a system that specifically addresses online gaming, responsible gambling, licensing, monitoring and money laundering.
The draft still needs to complete the legislative process before the proposed measures can take effect.