Legal casino gambling age in Liberia
Liberia operates a licensing system for gambling under a single national regulator, the National Lottery Authority (NLA). The Authority was created by legislation commonly cited as the National Lottery Authority Act of 2014 and describes its mandate as the regulation of “all games of chance within the Republic of Liberia”, including casinos, sports betting, raffles, scratch cards and slot machines. Sports betting has grown rapidly over the past decade, and since 2024 underage gambling has become the dominant political concern, prompting enforcement raids, a nationwide suspension of coin-operated slot machines and inquiries in the Senate. In 2025 and 2026 the NLA also began issuing online casino and online betting licences, a development that has been accompanied by a public dispute over who is entitled to sell such licences. Much of Liberia’s gaming legislation is not freely published online, so several points below rest on reporting rather than primary texts.
Key points
- The National Lottery Authority, established under the NLA Act (cited as the Act of 2014; the NLA gives its establishment date as 6 March 2015), licenses and supervises all games of chance in Liberia.
- Detailed rules are set out in Gaming Regulation 001, amended in 2017, and in a General Code of Practice adopted on 27 March 2025, which fixes the minimum gambling age at 18.
- Licensed online casino and online sports betting activity exists: in 2026 the NLA issued licences covering sports betting, online casino and online lottery, and introduced a revised fee schedule for online operators.
- Under the Tax Amendment Act of 2024, gaming winnings paid to non-residents are subject to a 30% withholding tax.
- Underage gambling is the main regulatory issue: the NLA suspended all mini-slot machines nationwide on 20 February 2026, and the Senate opened an inquiry in March 2026.
- No national self-exclusion register or dedicated gambling helpline could be identified.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026.
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Historical development
Before the present Authority existed, lotteries in Liberia were run through a statutory corporation. The title of the current statute, as catalogued by the Liberian legal database LibLaw, is “An Act to Repeal the Act Incorporating the Liberia National Lotteries Corporation of 1993 and to Enact in Lieu Thereof” a new law creating the National Lottery Authority.
Accounts of the date of the new Act differ slightly. A 2024 report in The New Dawn states that it was signed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on 22 December 2014, and the NLA’s board and most Liberian media refer to it as the NLA Act of 2014, although FrontPage Africa cited it in 2021 as the Act of 2015. The NLA’s own website states that the Authority “was established by an Act of the Legislature on March 6, 2015”. The difference is most likely between the dates of passage or signature and of publication, but this could not be confirmed from an official gazette copy.
During the late 2010s the sector expanded through sports betting shops and a small number of hotel casinos in Monrovia. In February 2019 the NLA’s board stated that two casinos were licensed and operating in the capital, rejecting a press claim that there were four, and that the board had seven members, including a chair appointed by the President under the 2014 Act (FrontPage Africa, February 2019). The same year an internal NLA review of licensees, begun after the President suspended the then Director General in March 2019, found that five operators together owed US$789,460 in unpaid fees and revenue (FrontPage Africa, July 2019).
Sports betting has been politically sensitive for some time. In October 2022 Yekeh Kolubah, a member of the House of Representatives for Montserrado County, announced that he would introduce a bill to regulate betting by “legalizing every aspect of the market”, in a country “already struggling in poverty”; the newspaper noted that many unemployed young people had turned to sports betting (The New Dawn, October 2022). No such bill appears to have been enacted, and the NLA has in practice continued to license betting under its existing powers.
Legal framework
The National Lottery Authority Act
The NLA Act is the principal gambling statute. It creates the Authority and a board that decides matters by simple majority and, under section 20.1, “shall meet at least once every three months” (as cited by FrontPage Africa in August 2021), and a licensing system for games of chance. A full official text of the Act could not be located online; the LibLaw copy is restricted to registered users. The following provisions are therefore drawn from secondary reporting and decisions of the Authority:
- Non-transferable licences. In December 2025 the NLA relied on section 28.2 of the Act, together with section 6.9 of Gaming Regulation 001, in stating that gaming licences are not transferable and that only the named licensee may operate (Liberian Observer, December 2025).
- Protection of minors. The Act prohibits gambling by people below the legal age, and the NLA presents this as one of its central consumer-protection duties (Liberian Observer, March 2026).
- Location restrictions. Gambling operations may not be run in the immediate vicinity of churches, schools and hospitals (The New Dawn, 2024).
Gaming Regulation 001 and its amendments
Operational detail is contained in Gaming Regulation 001, issued under the Act. According to the NLA website, it sets out the legal requirements and operating procedures for raffle draws, casinos, slot machines, sports betting, promotional games, gaming machines and the means of distributing prizes. Part II requires the board to review and approve an application before a licence is granted. Reporting in 2021 described two spacing rules: casinos must be at least four miles apart, and, after a 2017 amendment, gaming machine locations must be at least two miles from a casino. Section 2.2.3(a) requires a casino licence to be refused where the site is in the immediate vicinity of a religious institution, school or hospital (FrontPage Africa, August 2021).
Regulation 001 also provides the penalty structure the NLA applies in enforcement cases. In June 2026 a sports betting licensee was found in breach of sections 6.4, 6.9, 14.1(b) and 14.1(d), for conduct including non-disclosure of material information and misuse of its licence, and was fined US$2,500 for each of the four violations, had its licence revoked and was barred from reapplying for two years (Focus Gaming News, June 2026). The New Dawn has likewise reported that a licensee who knowingly allows underage betting faces revocation and fines of up to US$2,500 per offence.
The General Code of Practice (2025)
On 27 March 2025 the NLA adopted a General Code of Practice under the 2014 Act. As reported by FrontPage Africa in February 2026, the Code prohibits people under 18 from gambling, from entering gambling premises and from registering on online betting platforms. It is the clearest published statement of the minimum age and the first instrument found that expressly addresses online accounts.
Criminal law
Liberian press reporting describes underage gambling in breach of the NLA rules as a criminal offence against public morals under Chapter 18 of Liberian law, graded as a first-degree misdemeanour (The New Dawn, 2024). The underlying statutory text could not be verified for this guide.
Regulator and licensing model
Liberia follows a licensing model: private operators may offer gambling if they hold a licence from the state regulator, rather than the state holding a monopoly (an exclusive legal right to provide a service). The NLA is both the licensing authority and the supervisor. Its website lists the following licence categories:
- casinos;
- sports betting;
- raffle draws;
- scratch-and-win games;
- slot machines; and
- other games.
The NLA also has a direct role in lotteries. In November 2025 it launched 5/90 ball lotto games in partnership with a private company, with its Deputy Director General for Lotto Games stating that the games would increase the Authority’s capacity to raise revenue for national development (Liberian Observer, November 2025).
The Authority is headed by a Director General, currently Peter L. Solo, and has a Deputy Director General for Lotto Games. In October 2025 it launched a Five-Year Strategic Plan intended to modernise its operations, increase revenue, promote responsible gaming and digitise regulation, linking gaming revenue to the government’s ARREST development agenda (Focus Gaming News, October 2025).
The NLA website links to a list of licensed operators by category, but the list did not load in a form that could be reviewed, and no official total of licensees has been published. In early 2026 the NLA said it had invited “around six” licensed operators to meetings before its slot-machine enforcement campaign; that figure refers to one segment of the market, not to all licensees (Focus Gaming News, March 2026). Licence fees for land-based activities are not publicly listed.
Online gambling: what is permitted and how it is enforced
Licensed online activity
Online gambling is not prohibited as such, and the NLA treats it as a licensable activity. The 2025 Code of Practice refers to registration on online betting platforms. In September 2026 the NLA restored a domestic operator’s licence for the 2026/27 period covering sports betting, online casino and online lottery, conditional on compliance with the NLA Act, its regulations, responsible-gaming requirements and anti-money-laundering rules (SiGMA News, September 2026). The same report states that in August 2026 the NLA introduced a revised schedule of administrative, licensing, device-registration and compliance fees and standardised licensing structures for online casino and online sports betting operators, including beneficial-ownership disclosure, technical certification, know-your-customer (KYC) checks and periodic reporting. The fee amounts were not published in the sources reviewed.
The international online gaming licence
Separately, in November 2025 an “international online gaming licence” was promoted to foreign operators as covering casino, sports betting and lottery services with no territorial restriction, supported by a legal opinion of 31 October 2025 from a Liberian law firm stating that the scheme operates within the 2014 Act; the announcement attributed the new rules to a “Liberia Online Gaming Commission” (SiGMA News, November 2025). The announcement was promotional in tone and did not disclose fees. It should be read with caution in light of the dispute described below.
In September 2026 the NLA served a notice of default on a private company engaged under an online gaming licensing service agreement. The Authority alleged that the company had acted as an unauthorised intermediary, sold licences in its own name and in the name of a “Liberia Online Gaming and Casino Commission” that the NLA described as fictitious, and collected fees through private accounts rather than the NLA’s official bank account. The Director General said the Authority would not allow intermediaries to pose as regulators. The Commission maintains that it holds government approvals, citing an appointment letter dated 7 November 2025. As of the latest report the dispute was unresolved; the NLA stated that operators who had paid in good faith could apply to it directly for reissuance (SiGMA News, September 2026). For practical purposes, the NLA is the only body with statutory licensing authority, and an online licence is reliable only if the NLA itself confirms it.
Offshore operators and enforcement
Liberia does not operate a published blocklist of gambling websites. Enforcement has instead relied on action against local intermediaries and payment channels. In December 2025 the NLA suspended a domestic licensee that it found had served as a conduit for an unlicensed foreign online betting brand, with customer payments routed through mobile money accounts. It ordered the removal of all advertising for the foreign brand and instructed telecommunications and mobile money providers to “deplatform” and disable services supporting it in Liberia (Liberian Observer, December 2025). The licence was later revoked in June 2026 and restored under a settlement in September 2026, as described above. The case is the clearest example found of payment blocking, meaning instructions to payment providers to stop processing transactions for an unlicensed operator.
Advertising has also become a focus. In April 2026 the NLA was reported to be preparing a ban on radio programmes carrying betting promotions, lottery tips and interactive gambling shows, with formal guidelines, timelines and penalties still to be issued (Radioinfo Africa, April 2026). No final rule had been located at the time of review.
Position of players
The sources reviewed do not identify any provision making it an offence for an adult to place bets or play casino games with an online operator that lacks an NLA licence, and no prosecution or fine of an adult player was found. The NLA’s enforcement has been directed at operators, intermediaries, machine owners and payment channels. The lawful route for players is to use operators licensed by the NLA, and the Authority’s position is that unlicensed foreign platforms are not authorised under Liberian gaming law.
The position of minors is different. People under 18 may not gamble, enter gambling premises or open online betting accounts under the 2025 Code of Practice, and the NLA has announced a ban on “under-aged and school-going children” playing any game of chance (NLA website, press release of 28 May 2024). The legal duty falls mainly on operators, who face suspension, revocation and fines for allowing minors to play.
Taxation
Operators
Liberian gambling operators pay licence and other fees to the NLA, which the Authority treats as a source of public revenue. The sources reviewed did not identify a gaming-specific tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR, meaning stakes received minus winnings paid) in the Liberia Revenue Code, and none is stated here. Operators are, as companies, within the general scope of the Revenue Code administered by the Liberia Revenue Authority.
Players
The Tax Amendment Act of 2024, approved on 17 December 2024 and printed on 20 December 2024, amended section 806 of the Liberia Consolidated Revenue Code. New section 806(c) provides that “a payor who makes a payment to a nonresident of winnings from gaming within Liberia is required to withhold tax at a rate of 30 percent of the amount of the payment”. The rate is reflected in PwC’s Worldwide Tax Summaries, which lists gaming winnings at 30% for non-residents. The measure was introduced in September 2024 as part of a package to address a mid-year revenue shortfall of US$17.3 million (AllAfrica, September 2024). The treatment of winnings paid to Liberian residents could not be verified from the sources available.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Consumer protection in Liberia is built mainly around age limits and the location of gambling outlets rather than around individual tools such as deposit limits. The main measures are:
- Minimum age of 18 under the 2025 Code of Practice (FrontPage Africa, February 2026); in March 2026 the NLA told operators to institute effective safeguards such as age verification and staff training (Liberian Observer, March 2026).
- Responsible gambling programmes: licensees must develop a responsible gambling programme and follow NLA guidance on gambling addiction and prevention (The New Dawn, 2024).
- Distance rules keeping casinos and gaming machines away from each other and from schools, churches and hospitals.
- Inter-agency task force: the NLA has set up a task force including the Ministries of Gender, Justice and Education, the Liberia National Police and civil society groups, and airs awareness messages on community radio (FrontPage Africa, February 2026).
Enforcement against unlicensed machines has intensified. On 17 February 2026 the NLA announced the deployment of inspectors to gaming centres, mini-slot operations, betting booths and lottery kiosks to stop underage gambling, working with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (Liberian Observer, February 2026). From 20 February 2026 it suspended mini-slot operations nationwide, initially for two weeks, and on 3 March 2026 it publicly destroyed more than 100 seized machines in Monrovia (Focus Gaming News, March 2026).
No national self-exclusion scheme, under which a person can bar themselves from all licensed operators, and no dedicated gambling helpline or treatment service in Liberia could be identified. General guidance is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Code of Practice (March 2025). The NLA adopted a General Code of Practice on 27 March 2025, fixing the minimum age at 18 for land-based and online gambling.
- Strategic plan (October 2025). The NLA launched a Five-Year Strategic Plan at a retreat held on 8–10 October 2025.
- Online licensing (November 2025 to August 2026). An international online gaming licence was promoted from November 2025, and in August 2026 the NLA standardised licensing and fees for online casino and online sports betting operators.
- Slot-machine suspension (February–March 2026). The NLA suspended mini-slot operations nationwide from 20 February 2026, initially for two weeks, and extended raids to Lofa County; on 3 March the Director General said the suspension remained in effect. Its later status could not be verified.
- Senate inquiry (March 2026). On 5 March 2026 Senator Amara Konneh, chair of the Committee on Public Accounts and Audit, asked the Senate to summon the NLA over underage gambling in Montserrado, Bong, Grand Bassa and Margibi counties; the plenary referred the matter to joint committees on gender, children and social protection and on the judiciary (FrontPage Africa, March 2026). No committee report had been located at the time of review.
- Proposed radio advertising ban (April 2026). Reported as being led by the NLA; formal guidelines were expected “in the coming weeks” but had not been located.
- Licensing dispute (September 2026). The NLA’s default notice against a licensing intermediary remained unresolved; failing a cure within 60 days, the NLA may terminate the agreements, seek injunctive relief in the courts and refer the matter to the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.
Casino listings for players in Liberia
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not by themselves show that an operator holds a licence from the National Lottery Authority, and an “international” licence sold through an intermediary is not a substitute for confirmation by the NLA. Readers should check an operator’s status with the National Lottery Authority before playing.
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Related country guides
- Sierra Leone gambling guide
- Côte d’Ivoire gambling guide
- Gambia gambling guide
- Ghana gambling guide
- Senegal gambling guide
Sources and further reading
- National Lottery Authority of Liberia, Official website (accessed 13 October 2026).
- LibLaw, An Act to Repeal the Act Incorporating the Liberia National Lotteries Corporation of 1993 and to Enact in Lieu Thereof (catalogue entry) (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Government of Liberia, Tax Amendment Act of 2024 Amending Certain Portions of Chapters 8 and 10 of the Liberia Consolidated Revenue Code as Amended (2024).
- PwC, Worldwide Tax Summaries: Liberia, Corporate – Withholding taxes (accessed 13 October 2026).
- AllAfrica / Liberian press, House Reviews New Royalties Law on Iron Ore, Gold, Betting Winnings, Others (2024).
- The New Dawn, Electronic bingo machines surge violates lottery regulation (2024).
- The New Dawn, Rep. Kolubah wants game betting legislated (2022).
- FrontPage Africa, NLA board distances VP Howard-Taylor from interfering into the gaming sector (2019).
- FrontPage Africa, Making the difference: NLA uncovers outstanding debts owed government (2019).
- FrontPage Africa, Report on casino licensing and distance rules under Gaming Regulation 001 (2021).
- FrontPage Africa, Kids as young as 10 caught in Liberia’s betting boom (2026).
- FrontPage Africa, FPA report on underage betting sparks Senate condemnation, government action (2026).
- Liberian Observer, NLA launches crackdown on underage gambling (2026).
- Liberian Observer, Report on the NLA’s show-cause proceedings over underage gambling at a licensed betting operator (2026).
- Liberian Observer, Report on the NLA’s suspension of a sports betting licence linked to an unlicensed foreign platform (2025).
- Liberian Observer, Report on the launch of 5/90 ball lotto games by the NLA and a private partner (2025).
- Focus Gaming News, NLA – Liberia initiates five-year strategic plan to reform the institution and the gaming industry (2025).
- Focus Gaming News, Liberia’s gambling regulator destroys more than 100 illegal mini-slot machines (2026).
- Focus Gaming News, Report on the NLA’s revocation of a sports betting licence under Gaming Regulation 001 (2026).
- SiGMA News, Report on the restoration of a sports betting and online casino licence by settlement (2026).
- SiGMA News, Liberia’s authority introduces international online gaming licence (2025).
- SiGMA News, Liberia commission cites government approvals in NLA dispute (2026).
- Radioinfo Africa, Liberia moves to ban gambling on radio amid surge in underage betting (2026).
