Lottery tickets are legal in Rwanda under Law No. 58/2011 governing Gaming Activities, enacted on December 31, 2011. Every person who wishes to promote or conduct national lottery shall apply for a licence in accordance with the provisions of this Law (1). The Ministry in charge of commerce has overall control of gaming activities, with authority to issue licences and permits, oversee the gaming industry, determine the number of licences granted, and ensure unlawful activities related to lottery schemes are prevented or detected and prosecuted.
The Rwanda Development Board issued a public notice on October 9, 2025, calling for applications from qualified operators to manage and operate the National Lottery in Rwanda (2). The objective of the National Lottery is to mobilize predictable proceeds for public-interest programs including health, sports, culture and related causes, offer low-stakes socially responsible transparent products, and uphold international-standard integrity, technology, and accountability. Applications are welcomed from operators with successful experience in operating national lotteries or comparable large-scale systems, sufficient financial capacity and technical expertise to deploy secure modern platforms with nationwide reach, and established responsible gambling measures.
"The objective of the National Lottery is to mobilize predictable proceeds for public-interest programs (health, sports, culture and related causes); offer low-stakes, socially responsible, transparent products; and uphold international-standard integrity, technology, and accountability."
The regulatory authority may authorize the promotion of other types of lotteries beyond the national lottery, including lotteries for raising funds for social services, public welfare, relief of distress or patriotic purposes, providing recreational or gaming facilities, and conducting other small lotteries from time to time as approved by the competent authority (1). The submission deadline for National Lottery operator applications was October 31, 2025, with the Government of Rwanda committed to working with reputable operators to re-establish the National Lottery as a responsible national undertaking that protects citizens, ensures integrity, and delivers maximum public and economic benefit.
Source:
https://rwandalii.org/akn/rw/act/law/2011/58/eng@2012-03-26/source
https://rdb.rw/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Public-Notice_Call-for-Applications-%E2%80%93-National-Lottery-Operators.pdf
Last updated: 16-10-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
