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Angola’s Council of Ministers has approved a new gambling law that would pave the way for “substantial changes”, including a new online licensing regime in the country.
The Gaming Activity Law is designed to replace the existing 2016 law and separate sports betting from lottery concessions, introduce new responsible gambling measures and overhaul the enforcement of the gambling industry, according to a press release from the Council of Ministers.
The finalised proposal will be sent to the country’s National Assembly for approval.
However, no timeline has been provided for when this will happen and the National Assembly is on its parliamentary break from August 15 to October 15.
Among a host of changes, the draft law includes a long list of advertising restrictions, including a watershed ban between 7am and 10pm and strict limits on the content of advertising, such as including warnings.
The draft law in its original form was published in March 2022 and included tax changes that “don't seek to reduce the burden” on the industry, but instead make the taxation on each sector more in line with one another.
Online gambling was proposed to be taxed at a rate of 25 percent of GGR, as well as a 15 percent tax on winnings.
Since the draft law was first published, many of its proposed tax changes have already been implemented through amendments to the State Budget for 2023 that was approved in March.
Simplifying the online gambling tax regime is seen as a means to attract investment both locally and internationally into the sector, according to the proposal.
New online licences will be granted for a period of five years.
When the law is approved, existing licensees will have 180 days to ensure they comply with the new requirements.
The draft law was put forward by President João Lourençoin, who argues it is needed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw Angola’s oil business severely reduced, forcing the government to look to other sectors to help ensure future financial stability.
Lourençoin previously legalised online gambling in 2020 through a presidential decree.
There are only ten listed online gambling licensees at the time of writing.
The Instituto de Supervisão de Games (ISJ), which is responsible for overseeing gambling policy, regulation and supervision, received more than KZ$608m (€680,000) from gambling taxes during the first three months of 2023, a 33 percent increase from the same period the previous year.
