Legal casino gambling age in Cape Verde
Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) reserves gambling to the State and allows it only through concessions and licences granted by the government. Casino games are regulated by Law No. 77/VI/2005 on the operation of games of chance, which creates five permanent gaming zones and allows casinos to open only within them. Lotteries and pooled betting form a separate category, known as “social games”, which a non-profit body, the Cruz Vermelha de Cabo Verde (Cape Verde Red Cross), runs under an exclusive state concession. A legal route for online gambling has existed on paper since 2005, and detailed online rules followed in 2015 and 2019. However, the gaming regulator stated in November 2025 that it had not issued any online licence.
Key points
- Games of chance (casino games) are governed by Law No. 77/VI/2005 of 16 August, as amended by Law No. 62/VII/2010. Operation is reserved to the State and granted to private companies through concession contracts.
- The regulator is the Inspeção Geral de Jogos (IGJ, General Gaming Inspectorate). Concessions and special licences are granted by the minister responsible for tourism.
- The law provides for special licences for online gambling, and Decree-Law No. 73/2015 regulates remote games and betting. According to the IGJ (November 2025), no online licence has been issued and no platform is licensed in Cabo Verde.
- The only state-authorised online gambling is the social games of the Cruz Vermelha de Cabo Verde (National Lottery, Totoloto and Joker), available online since May 2024.
- Casino concessionaires pay a special gaming tax of 10% of gross revenue. Players’ winnings are subject to a 20% final withholding tax under the 2014 personal income tax code.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026.
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Historical development
The first comprehensive gaming statute of the independent republic in the official record reviewed for this guide is Law No. 117/V/99 of 28 December 1999, which approved a legal regime for games of chance and revoked an earlier decree-law of 1992. It already allowed the government to grant “special licences” to companies accepting bets through data communication or computer systems. It barred under-18s from casinos and made both the illegal operation of games and the playing of games in illegal locations criminal offences.
The 1999 law was succeeded by Law No. 77/VI/2005 of 16 August, which remains the core statute. It was implemented by two decree-laws of 7 November 2005: Decree-Law No. 72/2005 on the organisation and operation of casinos and gaming rooms, and Decree-Law No. 73/2005 on the procedures for awarding concessions and special licences (both published in the Boletim Oficial of 7 November 2005). It was amended and republished by Law No. 62/VII/2010 of 31 May 2010.
For more than a decade after 2005 no casino actually opened. In 2011 the government authorised a public tender for concessions in all five gaming zones (Regulatory Decree No. 9/2011). Two concessions were eventually awarded: one for the Sal zone and one for the Santiago zone, which contains the capital, Praia. The first casino in the country opened in a hotel in Santa Maria, on Sal, in December 2016, according to Lusa reporting carried by RTP. The basic rules for each permitted casino game were approved by Ministerial Order No. 1/2017, whose preamble refers to the aim of opening the first national casino in the Sal zone in 2017.
The Santiago concession was linked to a large integrated resort project on the islet of Santa Maria in Praia, agreed in 2015 with a Hong Kong-listed developer. RTP reported in October 2023 that the planned investment was €250 million and that the package included a 25-year casino concession, exclusive on Santiago for 15 years, and a separate special licence granting exclusive nationwide rights to online gaming and sports betting for ten years. Construction stalled, and the concession was terminated in 2024 (see below).
Lotteries developed separately. The Cruz Vermelha de Cabo Verde has held the right to run the National Lottery since 1977 and was chosen to manage Totoloto and Joker in 1997, according to Expresso das Ilhas. In 2019 Parliament adopted a dedicated statute for these “social games”, and in November 2020 the Red Cross signed a 20-year exclusive concession with the State.
Legal framework
Games of chance
The central statute is Law No. 77/VI/2005, available in its consolidated form as republished in 2010. It defines games of chance (jogos de fortuna ou azar) as games whose results depend “exclusively or fundamentally” on luck (Art. 3). Its main features are:
- State reserve. The right to operate games of chance belongs to the State, which may grant it to private companies by administrative concession contract (Art. 6).
- Gaming zones. Casinos may operate only in gaming zones. The permanent zones are Boa Vista, Maio, Sal, Santiago and São Vicente (Art. 7(3)). Temporary or additional zones may be created by decree-law.
- Special licences. Outside casinos, the government may grant special licences for gaming on Cabo Verde-registered ships and aircraft outside national territory, bingo outside the gaming zones, gaming machines in tourist establishments, and “the acceptance of bets or the operation of games through data communication means”, which is the legal basis for online gambling (Art. 9(1)(d)). Online licences may go to companies formed for that purpose or to existing casino concessionaires (Art. 13(5)).
- Exclusions. The law does not apply to mutual (pooled) betting and to games offered to the public such as lotteries, raffles and tombolas (Art. 2(2)). These are governed by the social games regime.
- Taxation and access. The law sets the special gaming tax and its distribution (Art. 28) and the rules on access to casinos, including the age limit and exclusion orders (Arts. 63 and 65).
Online games and betting
In September 2015 the government announced that the Council of Ministers had approved a draft decree-law regulating games of chance and betting offered remotely through electronic, telematic or interactive platforms. The stated aims were to fill a regulatory gap, bring online activity into the tax system and combat tax evasion. The resulting instrument, Decree-Law No. 73/2015 of 31 December, is cited as the regime for remote gaming in Regulatory Decree No. 1/2019 of 24 January. The full text of Decree-Law No. 73/2015 could not be retrieved for this guide, so its detailed provisions are described here only as far as the 2019 regulation reflects them.
Regulatory Decree No. 1/2019 sets the technical and functional requirements for online operating and control systems, which the IGJ uses to assess licence applications. Among other things, it requires:
- a verification infrastructure, with a data repository, located in Cabo Verde, alongside a control infrastructure run by the IGJ;
- identification of players before registration, a single player account per operator site and a check against a central list of excluded players;
- player-set limits and self-exclusion lasting at least six months;
- certification of systems by an entity accredited by the IGJ, and annual security testing;
- payment methods only in currencies that are legal tender in Cabo Verde (Art. 43).
Social games
Lotteries and pooled betting are governed by Law No. 54/IX/2019 of 13 May, the general legal regime for social games. The State reserves these games to itself and grants exclusive rights for the whole national territory to a single non-profit Cape Verdean body (Art. 5). The law expressly allows the games to be offered through a multichannel platform, including the internet and mobile phones (Art. 6). Unauthorised operation, promotion or sale of tickets in breach of the exclusive right is an offence punishable by fines, and the IGJ is responsible for enforcement (Arts. 18–21). The rules for the National Lottery, Totoloto and Joker were updated by Decree-Law No. 7/2024 of 9 February, which prohibits the sale of games to minors.
Regulator and licensing model
Cabo Verde operates a concession model: a limited number of exclusive rights granted by the State through tenders, rather than an open licensing market in which any qualified applicant may obtain a licence. The minister responsible for tourism grants concessions and special licences (Law No. 77/VI/2005, Art. 5). The IGJ supervises and inspects operators, approves equipment and audits concessionaires. The IGJ is also the supervisory authority for anti-money-laundering compliance by gaming operators under IGJ Regulation No. 001/IGJ/2020, which applies to land-based casino concessionaires, online casino licence holders, lottery and betting licence holders and junket promoters. According to Expresso das Ilhas, Cabo Verde is a member of the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR).
In October 2026 the Office of the Prime Minister appointed Antónia Gomes Lopes as Inspector-General of Gaming from 1 October 2026, replacing José Monteiro, according to Focus Gaming News, citing Order No. 30/2026 in the Boletim Oficial.
The position of the gaming zones as of October 2026 is summarised below.
| Gaming zone | Status (as documented) |
|---|---|
| Sal | Concession awarded; the only operating casino, open since December 2016. Lusa reported in 2022 a 25-year concession, seven years of it exclusive. |
| Santiago (Praia) | Concession awarded in 2015; terminated and assets reverted to the State in November 2024. |
| São Vicente (Mindelo) | Licence awarded by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 79/2025 of 14 August 2025; concession contract signed on 6 October 2025. |
| Boa Vista | No concession found in the sources reviewed. |
| Maio | No concession found in the sources reviewed. |
The São Vicente award illustrates the terms of a modern concession. Resolution No. 79/2025 records that a first public tender launched in 2023 failed and that the award followed a restricted tender authorised in 2024. The contract runs for 25 years from the first day of operation and may be extended. It requires share capital of 100 million escudos, an award premium of 70 million escudos, an annual contribution to the IGJ’s costs, and opening within 15 months of signature. It expressly excludes remote play: the concession does not permit “its offer at a distance, through electronic platforms”. Forbes África Lusófona reported the signing on 6 October 2025 and an investment of more than €5 million.
Online gambling: what is permitted and how it is enforced
The legal position of online gambling is unusual. The statutory framework for licensing online casino games and betting exists: Law No. 77/VI/2005 provides for special online licences, Decree-Law No. 73/2015 regulates remote gaming, and Regulatory Decree No. 1/2019 sets technical standards. In practice, however, no online licence appears to be in operation. In a November 2025 report by Expresso das Ilhas, the IGJ stated that “no licence has been issued by the IGJ” and “there are no licensed platforms”. The newspaper reported that, in the IGJ’s view, the platforms are not illegal but no entity is authorised to operate in the country, leaving online gambling “in a grey zone”. The IGJ said the regulations still needed updating and that firm steps depended on a government decision.
This appears to conflict with the 2015 arrangement described above, under which a special licence for exclusive nationwide online gaming and sports betting was attached to the Santiago resort project. That licence was to run for ten years from the start of online operations. The sources reviewed do not show that online operations under it ever began. The Ministerial Order No. 47/2024 that reverted the resort assets to the State expressly covers the casino concession but does not mention any online licence.
Offshore operators are nonetheless used. Expresso das Ilhas reported, citing the interbank payments company SISP, that about 20% of the roughly 1,107,000 transactions made with national Visa cards in 2024 were linked to betting. The Banco de Cabo Verde (central bank) told the newspaper that it has no competence over betting platforms. It added that payments must go through authorised payment service providers and that it refers unauthorised payment activity to the judicial authorities.
The only lawful, state-authorised online gambling product is the social games offering of the Cruz Vermelha de Cabo Verde. Since May 2024 the National Lottery, Totoloto and Joker have been available online, through a digital platform presented in Praia on 22 May 2024, according to Expresso das Ilhas.
No evidence was found of website or payment blocking directed at offshore gambling sites. Regulatory Decree No. 1/2019 restricts advertising of online gaming by reference to the Advertising Code (Decree-Law No. 46/2007), which was not reviewed directly.
Position of players
Players must be at least 18 to enter casino gaming rooms (Law No. 77/VI/2005, Art. 65(3)), and under-14s may not enter a casino even when accompanied (Art. 63(3)). The social games legislation prohibits sales to minors.
The 1999 gaming law made it a criminal offence to play games of chance in illegal locations, punishable by up to eight months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 50 days (Law No. 117/V/99, Art. 39). The penal provisions of the current law could not be checked for this guide, because the republished text reviewed ends before its offences chapter. It therefore cannot be confirmed whether, or how, a comparable offence applies today. No record was found of any player being prosecuted or fined for using a foreign online gambling website. The IGJ’s 2025 statement that such platforms are “not illegal” but unauthorised suggests that enforcement against players is not a current priority. It does not amount to a guarantee.
Players who use offshore sites have no local regulator to turn to: no platform is licensed, and the central bank does not supervise betting.
Taxation
Operators
Casino concessionaires pay a special gaming tax (imposto especial sobre o jogo) of 10% of declared gross revenue, meaning stakes less winnings paid (Law No. 77/VI/2005, Art. 28(3)). The proceeds are distributed as follows: 50% to the State Budget, 15% to the Tourism Development Fund, 10% to the Sports Development Fund, 10% to the Autonomous Culture Support Fund, 10% to the municipalities in the concession area and 5% to the Education and Training Support Fund. Concession contracts add further payments. Under the São Vicente contract these include 6% of gross gaming revenue for public-interest investment, capped at 13.6 million escudos a year, and an annual contribution of 13.2 million escudos towards the IGJ’s costs.
In an article published in January 2022, the then Inspector-General reported that gross revenue at the country’s only casino was about €1.47 million in 2019, fell to €0.48 million in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovered to €1.06 million in 2021. The special gaming tax for 2021 amounted to €106,339. According to Lusa, reporting Ministry of Finance data, gaming tax receipts reached 36.9 million escudos in the first eight months of 2022, against a budget target of 50 million escudos for the year.
Players
The personal income tax code approved by Law No. 78/VIII/2014 (in force from 1 January 2015) treats winnings from games of chance, lotteries, mutual betting and prize draws as Category E income (Art. 17(2)). They are taxed on their gross value at a final withholding rate of 20% (Art. 50(b)), deducted by the entity paying the prize. The code was not reviewed in its latest consolidated form, so readers should confirm the rate with the tax authority. No rule was found on how winnings from foreign online sites, where no local withholding occurs, are to be treated.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Protection tools are built mainly around land-based casinos:
- Age limit. Under-18s are barred from gaming rooms, and the sale of social games to minors is prohibited (Decree-Law No. 7/2024).
- Exclusion orders. The head of the gaming inspection service may bar a person from gaming rooms for up to five years on the service’s own initiative, at the operator’s request or at the request of the person concerned (Law No. 77/VI/2005, Art. 65(5)). This last option is, in effect, a form of self-exclusion, applied case by case rather than through a national register. Preventive bans may not exceed two years.
- Online standards. Regulatory Decree No. 1/2019 requires licensed online operators to offer deposit and play limits and self-exclusion of at least six months, and to check players against a central exclusion list. Because no online licence has been issued, these tools do not yet operate in practice.
No national gambling helpline or specialised gambling treatment service in Cabo Verde was identified in the sources reviewed. People affected by gambling harm can contact general health and mental health services. See also our responsible gambling guide, which lists international support resources.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Santiago concession terminated (November 2024). Ministerial Order No. 47/2024 of 18 November reverted the Praia resort assets and the gaming concession to the State, citing failure to complete the first phase due in February 2021. In January 2026 the government took possession of the site; the developer said the handover lacked a legitimate basis and that it was seeking legal advice, according to Asia Gaming Brief.
- São Vicente concession (August–October 2025). A licence was awarded by Resolution No. 79/2025 and the contract was signed on 6 October 2025, with opening due within 15 months of signature. No opening date had been confirmed in the sources reviewed.
- Online regulation pending (November 2025). The IGJ said the online rules needed updating and depended on a government decision. No new online gambling decree had been found as of October 2026.
Casino listings for players in Cape Verde
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not show that an operator is licensed in Cabo Verde. According to the IGJ, no online gambling licence has been issued and no online platform is licensed in the country. The only state-authorised online gambling is the social games of the Cruz Vermelha de Cabo Verde. The IGJ does not publish an online register, so the listings must not be read as an indication that an operator is authorised locally.
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Sources and further reading
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Lei n.º 62/VII/2010, de 31 de maio, que altera e republica a Lei n.º 77/VI/2005, de 16 de agosto (regime jurídico da exploração de jogos de fortuna ou azar) (2010; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Lei n.º 117/V/99, de 28 de dezembro (regime jurídico dos jogos de fortuna ou azar) (1999; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Decreto-Lei n.º 72/2005 e Decreto-Lei n.º 73/2005, de 7 de novembro (2005; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Decreto-Regulamentar n.º 9/2011, de 27 de junho (2011; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Lei n.º 78/VIII/2014, de 31 de dezembro (Código do IRPS) (2014; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Portaria n.º 1/2017, de 9 de janeiro (regras de execução dos jogos de fortuna ou azar) (2017; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Decreto-Regulamentar n.º 1/2019, de 24 de janeiro (requisitos técnicos dos sistemas de jogos e apostas online) (2019; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Lei n.º 54/IX/2019, de 13 de maio (regime jurídico geral dos jogos sociais) (2019; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Regulamento n.º 001/IGJ/2020, de 28 de julho (prevenção do branqueamento de capitais no sector do jogo) (2020; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Decreto-Lei n.º 7/2024, de 9 de fevereiro (regulamentos da Lotaria Nacional, Totoloto e Joker) (2024; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Portaria n.º 47/2024, de 18 de novembro (reversão para o Estado dos bens concessionados no Ilhéu de Santa Maria) (2024; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Boletim Oficial (INCV), Resolução n.º 79/2025, de 14 de agosto (licença de exploração de jogo de fortuna ou azar na zona de jogo de São Vicente) (2025; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Governo de Cabo Verde, Projeto de Decreto-lei que regula a exploração e prática de jogos e apostas de fortuna ou azar desenvolvidos à distância aprovado em Conselho de Ministros (2015; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Cardoso, J. A. (Inspeção Geral de Jogos), via A Nação, Receita bruta do jogo em casino ultrapassa um milhão de euros em 2021 (2022; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Lusa / Notícias ao Minuto, Receitas com imposto do único casino em Cabo Verde duplicaram até agosto (2022; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Lusa / RTP, Cabo Verde lança concurso para concessionar casino em São Vicente por 25 anos (2023; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Lusa / RTP, Cabo Verde vai reverter concessão de hotel-casino após abandono de grupo de Macau (2023; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Expresso das Ilhas / Inforpress, Casa de Jogos Sociais e nova plataforma digital dos jogos sociais da Cruz Vermelha inauguradas na quarta-feira (2024; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Forbes África Lusófona, Governo cabo-verdiano assina contrato de concessão de casino para a exploração de jogos (2025; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Ribeiro, S. (Expresso das Ilhas), Apostas desportivas já representam 20% das transacções Visa em Cabo Verde (2025; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Asia Gaming Brief, Report on the January 2026 handover of the Praia hotel-casino site (2026; accessed 13 October 2026).
- Focus Gaming News, Cabo Verde appoints Antónia Gomes Lopes as gaming regulator chief (2026; accessed 13 October 2026).
