Finance Minister Cheikh Diba announced the figure at an African Lotteries Association meeting in Dakar. He said the first-quarter total reached 71% coverage, as Senegal works to strengthen domestic revenue and improve oversight of online gambling.
Budget Pressure Puts Gambling Revenue in Focus
In an attempt to strengthen the country’s domestic revenue, the government is working on diversifying revenue sources amid financial strains on the public sector. Diba presented gambling revenue as one part of that wider fiscal push.
The minister also said the first-quarter figure represented a 71% coverage rate. That makes gambling a visible part of Senegal’s revenue strategy, rather than a marginal budget line.
Tax Reform Frames the Q1 Result
Double taxation for the gambling industry was adopted by Senegal in 2025. This initiative was supposed to increase state income and provide the authorities with greater control over a rapidly growing industry.
According to Diba, Q1 results indicate the potential for the sector to provide meaningful budget support. The government‘s view is clear: gambling revenue should help fund public priorities, especially when the state is looking for new income sources.
Such a policy affects the relationship between the operators and the state. It increases the fiscal pressure on gambling operators while the state is seeking stronger revenue collection and better traceability.
This strategy can help raise money for the government. The harder part will likely be maintaining the attractiveness of the legal market.
Online Betting Raises Control Questions
Diba also referred to the digital side of the industry. A large part of gambling activity happens online, often across borders. In practice, this makes it even more difficult to regulate the process:
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Tax collection is getting harder when platforms, payments, and players do not all sit inside one national system;
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The need for stronger traceability tools and cooperation with other countries increases.
Thus, Senegal’s challenge is not only taxation, but also online oversight, cross-border enforcement and protection of younger users from gambling-related risks.
LONASE Role Moves Higher on the Agenda
The minister praised the national lottery operator, LONASE, and its director general, Toussaint Manga. He appreciated the operator’s efforts in supporting the government’s reform direction through innovation and compliance with state priorities.
This puts LONASE in a central position. The national lottery is not merely viewed as an operator anymore. Rather, it is part of the broader fiscal agenda of Senegal.
Final Notes
In Senegal, gambling is being viewed as both a revenue-generation tool and a control mechanism. The next question is whether the state can tax and control the market without driving activity underground.
