Legal casino gambling age in Togo
Togo organises gambling around a state monopoly. The Loterie Nationale Togolaise (LONATO), a state-owned company, is described in official and company sources as holding the exclusive right to organise and operate games of chance throughout the country. It runs daily lottery draws, sports betting products and tote (pool) betting on horse racing through a national network of sales points. Togo has no stand-alone gambling statute of the kind found in licensing jurisdictions, no independent gambling regulator, and no published licensing regime for online casinos. Unauthorised gambling has long been a criminal offence. Since 1 January 2026, large lottery prizes have been subject to a 5% withholding tax introduced by the 2026 finance law. This guide sets out what can be verified from public sources about the legal framework, its enforcement, taxation and player protection, and identifies the points that could not be confirmed.
Key points
- LONATO was created by decree in 1966 and converted in 1990 into a state-owned company “with private-type management”; it holds the state monopoly over the organisation and operation of games of chance.
- Running a gambling house, a lottery or betting without authorisation was punishable under the former Penal Code with one to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of CFA 100,000 to 1,000,000; the 1980 code was replaced by a new Penal Code in 2015.
- No legal framework for licensing private online casinos has been published, and no gambling regulator separate from the state operator could be identified.
- Operators pay a tax on gambling proceeds (TPJH), which raised CFA 2.6 billion by the end of October 2025 and is forecast at CFA 4.4 billion for 2026.
- Since 1 January 2026, a 5% withholding tax applies to lottery winnings of CFA 500,000 or more; gambling winnings are otherwise excluded from personal income tax under the General Tax Code.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026.
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Historical development
Organised gambling in Togo has been a state activity since shortly after independence in 1960. According to an account of LONATO’s history published in the business supplement Eco & Finance (No. 1398, 4 August 2026) on the government-affiliated portal republicoftogo.com, the national lottery was created by Decree No. 66-8 of 4 July 1966. At that point it was a public establishment (établissement public), meaning a public body under administrative law rather than a company.
The same account records two later changes of legal form. Ordinance No. 80-29, dated in that text 10 November 1989, turned the lottery into a General Agency for games of chance (Agence Générale des jeux de hasard). Law No. 90-20 of 4 December 1990 then converted it into a state-owned company with private-type management (société d’Etat à gestion de type privé), whose object is “the organisation and operation of lotteries and games of chance throughout the national territory”. The publication states the company’s capital as CFA 5 billion and says that LONATO holds the monopoly over the organisation and operation of games of chance “held by the State since 1997”.
These details could not be checked against the original texts in the Journal officiel, which are not available online in a searchable form. Secondary listings differ on some of them: a business directory profile of LONATO gives the 1990 statute as Law No. 90-26 and the share capital as CFA 500 million. The ordinance number (80-29) also sits awkwardly with the year 1989 given for it. Readers who need the precise citations should consult the Journal officiel de la République togolaise.
LONATO’s product range has grown over time. The directory profile lists four weekly versions of its 5/90 lottery introduced between 1990 and 2017, sports betting products, horse-race tote betting marketed as PMU’TG, and scratch cards, including a ticket shared with other lotteries of the Conseil de l’Entente, a West African regional cooperation body. That joint product, the Tranche Commune Entente, links the national lotteries of Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger and funds a social project in a member state each year; in 2025 Togo hosted the final draw, held in Lomé on 28 November 2025, and received a facility worth CFA 125 million (AllAfrica, October 2025).
Legal framework
Togo’s legal framework for gambling is thin and largely made up of three elements: the instruments that created and reorganised LONATO and gave it its monopoly; a general criminal prohibition on unauthorised gambling; and tax provisions in the General Tax Code and annual finance laws. Research for this guide found no comprehensive statute on games of chance, comparable to the gambling acts adopted in recent years by some neighbouring states, and no published draft of one.
The monopoly of the national lottery
A monopoly, in this context, is a legal arrangement under which a single body, usually owned or controlled by the state, is the only entity permitted to offer a particular form of gambling. In Togo the monopoly is vested in LONATO, which the state owns. The sources describe the monopoly as covering “games of chance” generally rather than particular products, and LONATO’s own product range spans lotteries, sports betting and horse-race betting. The texts that establish the monopoly (the 1966 decree, the ordinance on the General Agency and the 1990 law) were not available online for verification, so their exact scope, including whether they address casinos or internet gambling, could not be confirmed.
Criminal law
The former Penal Code of 13 August 1980 (as listed by ecoi.net) contained a section headed “Gambling houses and lotteries” (Des maisons de jeu et loteries). Its Article 221, as reproduced in a copy of the code hosted by the Togolese EITI secretariat, punished with one to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of CFA 100,000 to 1,000,000, or either penalty alone, anyone who “without authorisation” kept or caused to be kept a house of games of chance, organised a lottery, or organised betting on the result of sporting contests or other uncertain events. Equipment, printed matter and other objects used in the offence were to be confiscated “in all cases”. Raffles and games held for charitable purposes at duly declared events were authorised by law.
That code was replaced by Law No. 2015-10 of 24 November 2015 on the new Penal Code. The publicly available copies of the 2015 code consulted for this guide were incomplete, and the provision, if any, that now corresponds to Article 221 could not be identified. It should not be assumed either that the old offence was carried over unchanged or that it was dropped. Togo’s Law No. 2018-026 of December 2018 on cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime contains no provisions specific to gambling or lotteries.
Regional context
Togo is a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and of the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA). No regional instrument of either organisation specific to gambling was identified in the course of this research, and the sector appears to remain a matter of national law. Regional cooperation between lotteries takes place through the Conseil de l’Entente, as noted above.
Regulator and licensing model
Togo does not have an independent gambling regulator. No commission, directorate or authority with a specific statutory mandate to license and supervise gambling operators could be identified in official sources. In practice, the state operator is the principal institution in the sector, and tax collection is handled by the Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR), the national revenue authority.
This places Togo in the monopoly model rather than the licensing model. Under a licensing model, a regulator issues licences to any applicant that meets published criteria, and publishes a register of licensees. Under Togo’s model, the right to operate games of chance belongs to the state through LONATO, and there is no published procedure by which a private company can obtain a gambling licence in its own name.
Press reports indicate that private betting brands are active in the Togolese market; reporting on the 2024 finance bill, for example, discussed how a withholding on winnings would apply to an international online bookmaker serving Togolese bettors (L-FRII, December 2023). Public sources do not describe the legal basis on which they operate, for example whether they act under contracts with LONATO, under separate ministerial authorisations, or without authorisation. No official list of authorised operators, partners or agents was found. Similarly, no official information could be found on the authorisation of land-based casinos, including casinos in Lomé hotels, or on the number of gaming machines lawfully in operation.
LONATO’s operations are extensive. According to a SiGMA report of October 2025 citing Togo First, LONATO was upgrading about 900 sales terminals and planned to deploy up to 5,000 terminals across the country over five years, as part of a modernisation plan linked to the government’s digital strategy. A report by Focus Gaming News (31 July 2026) records that the launch of a Sunday draw, Loto Détente, in the first week of August 2026 brought LONATO’s total number of weekly draws to 14; the Eco & Finance supplement gives the start date as 2 August 2026.
Online gambling
Togolese law, as far as it could be verified, contains no specific framework for online gambling, meaning gambling offered over the internet or mobile networks. There is no published regime for licensing online casinos, no list of authorised online operators, and no legal definition of remote gambling in the texts consulted. LONATO’s own channels remain primarily land-based, relying on sales points and electronic terminals.
Because the state monopoly covers games of chance generally, any online casino offering games to residents of Togo without authorisation from the state would not fall within a recognised legal category. Under the former Penal Code, unauthorised operation of games of chance was a criminal offence; as explained above, the corresponding provision in the 2015 code could not be confirmed. No case of prosecution of an online gambling operator in Togo was found.
Many countries enforce gambling restrictions through blocking, meaning instructions to internet service providers to make websites inaccessible, or to banks and payment providers to refuse transactions. No evidence was found that Togo maintains a blocklist of gambling websites or applies payment blocking to gambling transactions, and no advertising code specific to gambling was identified. The absence of published measures does not in itself establish that offshore gambling is lawful.
Reporting on the 2024 finance bill noted the difficulty of applying tax rules to fully online operators. An article published by L-FRII in December 2023 described a draft provision requiring operators in the sector, “online or not”, to withhold tax from winnings paid to each bettor, and observed that it was unclear how this would work for operators with no physical presence in Togo. Whether that provision was adopted in that form could not be confirmed.
Position of players
No provision of Togolese law identified in the course of this research makes it an offence for an individual simply to place a bet or play a game of chance. The criminal provision in the former Penal Code was aimed at those who keep gambling houses or organise lotteries and betting without authorisation, not at participants. No reported prosecution or fine of an individual player was found.
Restrictions do apply to particular groups. LONATO states that people under 18 are not allowed to gamble (republicoftogo.com, 31 July 2026). In June 2024 the Chief of Staff of the Togolese Armed Forces, General Allahare Dimini, issued a service note prohibiting all military personnel from gambling and from joining or supporting unlawful money-placement (“trading”) schemes, warning that offenders would be severely sanctioned under the regulations in force (Benin Web TV, 10 June 2024).
Players who use operators that are not authorised in Togo have no local body to which they can complain and no statutory protection for their funds. Disputes would have to be pursued, if at all, under the law and complaint procedures of the jurisdiction from which the operator claims to be licensed.
Even within the state system, players have reported difficulties. In September 2026 SiGMA relayed reports by the Togolese newspaper Relance Info that some winners had been unable to collect prizes at certain LONATO sales points in the Golfe 6 district of Lomé, having been told to return later or that cash was not available. LONATO’s rules allow winnings below CFA 500,000 to be collected at any authorised sales point, while larger prizes must be collected at a LONATO agency or its head office. At the time of that report LONATO had not responded publicly.
Taxation
Taxes paid by operators
The General Tax Code (Code général des impôts, CGI), published in a consolidated version by the Office Togolais des Recettes, contains a chapter entitled “Tax on the proceeds of games of chance” (taxe sur les produits des jeux de hasard, TPJH), covering its scope, base, rate and payment, and a procedural chapter on a levy on the proceeds of games of chance. The text of those chapters, including the rate, could not be extracted from the online version for this guide, so the rate is not stated here.
The yield of the tax has, however, been reported. According to republicoftogo.com (8 February 2026), the TPJH was initially forecast at CFA 2.9 billion for 2025; by the end of October 2025, CFA 2.6 billion had already been collected, and the tax is expected to rise by 50.8% to about CFA 4.4 billion in 2026. LONATO attributed the growth to new games and wider coverage by its sales network. No published figures on LONATO’s turnover or profit were found.
Tax on players’ winnings
As a general rule, gambling winnings are not treated as taxable income. Article 36 of the CGI, in the chapter on personal income tax (impôt sur le revenu des personnes physiques), provides that “gains derived from the practice of games of chance and duly substantiated” are excluded from taxable business income (CGI, Art. 36).
The finance law for 2026, adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate at the end of December 2025 (AllAfrica/republicoftogo.com, 29 December 2025), introduced an exception for large prizes. According to reporting by L-FRII (8 January 2026) and L-FRII (9 January 2026), since 1 January 2026 a withholding tax of 5% has been deducted at source, for the benefit of the OTR, from LONATO winnings of CFA 500,000 or more. A withholding tax is a tax deducted by the payer before the money reaches the recipient: on a prize of CFA 500,000, CFA 25,000 is withheld. Trade reports by SiGMA (February 2026) and Focus Gaming News add that qualifying payouts must be recorded through the certified electronic invoicing system introduced by the same tax reforms. The law number and article of the 2026 finance law could not be confirmed, and the reports consulted refer to LONATO winnings only; it is not clear whether or how the measure applies to winnings from other operators.
Readers who need certainty about the tax treatment of specific winnings should consult the OTR.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Togo has no statutory responsible gambling framework of the kind found in licensing jurisdictions. No national self-exclusion scheme (a register through which a person can bar themselves from gambling with all authorised operators) was found, and no national gambling helpline or dedicated support organisation could be identified.
Responsible gambling measures therefore depend largely on the state operator. Responding in July 2026 to criticism that it encouraged young people to gamble, LONATO’s marketing and innovation director said that betting should “remain a pleasure, not an obligation”. He stated that LONATO’s advertising carries a message urging people to play responsibly, that minors under 18 are barred from gambling, that the company has measures to exclude players who show excessive gambling behaviour, and that it works in partnership with centres that treat people with addiction (republicoftogo.com, 31 July 2026). The details of these exclusion measures and partnerships have not been published.
People concerned about their own gambling or that of someone close to them may seek help from general medical and mental-health services. General guidance is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Military gambling ban (June 2024). The Chief of Staff of the armed forces prohibited all military personnel from gambling and from participating in unlawful investment schemes (Benin Web TV).
- Modernisation of LONATO (2024–2025). LONATO launched a daily draw, Loto Matinal, in 2024 and began upgrading its terminal network under a five-year plan (SiGMA).
- Tranche Commune Entente 2025. Togo hosted the final draw of the joint regional lottery in Lomé on 28 November 2025 (AllAfrica).
- Withholding tax on winnings (in force since 1 January 2026). The 2026 finance law introduced a 5% withholding on LONATO winnings of CFA 500,000 or more.
- Growth in gambling tax receipts (2026 forecast). TPJH receipts are forecast to rise by 50.8% to CFA 4.4 billion in 2026 (republicoftogo.com).
- New products and payout complaints (2026). LONATO launched a Sunday draw in August 2026; in September 2026 players’ complaints about delayed payouts at some sales points were reported (SiGMA).
No bill to create a gambling regulator, to license private operators or to regulate online gambling was found to be before Parliament as of October 2026.
Casino listings for players in Togo
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not show that an operator is licensed or authorised in Togo. The state holds a monopoly over games of chance through the Loterie Nationale Togolaise, no regime for licensing online casinos exists, and no public register of authorised operators is available. The listings must not be read as an indication that offering or playing online casino games in Togo is lawful.
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Sources and further reading
- Republic of Togo (republicoftogo.com), Eco & Finance No. 1398, LONATO: history and new Loto Détente draw (4 August 2026).
- Republic of Togo (republicoftogo.com), Les taxes sur les jeux de hasard en forte augmentation (8 February 2026).
- Republic of Togo (republicoftogo.com), Le jeu doit rester un plaisir (31 July 2026).
- Office Togolais des Recettes, Code général des impôts et Livre des procédures fiscales (consolidated edition) (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Republic of Togo, Code pénal (1980), Art. 221, copy hosted by ITIE Togo (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Republic of Togo, Loi n° 2015-10 du 24 novembre 2015 portant nouveau Code pénal (partial copy) (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Republic of Togo, Loi n° 2018-026 sur la cybersécurité et la lutte contre la cybercriminalité (2018).
- ecoi.net (Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD), Togo: national laws (Penal code of 13 August 1980 as amended in April 2000) (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Togonews via AllAfrica, Togo: Budget 2026 adopté (29 December 2025).
- L-FRII, Togo: LONATO, l’OTR va désormais encaisser 5% sur vos gains (8 January 2026).
- L-FRII, Togo: facture électronique certifiée … des innovations fiscales annoncées pour 2026 (9 January 2026).
- L-FRII, Prélèvement d’impôts sur les jeux de hasard au Togo à partir de cette date (20 December 2023).
- SiGMA, Togo: new tax on big lottery wins (23 February 2026).
- SiGMA, LONATO modernises Togo’s lottery under digital strategy (13 October 2025).
- SiGMA, Togo: LONATO lottery players face payout difficulties (7 September 2026).
- Focus Gaming News, Togo’s National Lottery announces a new Sunday game, Loto Détente (July 2026).
- AllAfrica, Côte d’Ivoire: Loterie nationale – La Tranche Commune Entente 2025 lancée à Abidjan par la Lonaci (October 2025).
- Benin Web TV, Togo: le trading et les jeux de hasard désormais interdits aux militaires (10 June 2024).
- Go Africa Online, LONATO (Loterie Nationale Togolaise) company profile (accessed 13 October 2026).
