Central African Republic – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations
The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world and as such, their relationship with gambling is very limited. There is a law that states that all gambling in the country is illegal, and as such, you will not find any land-based casinos or bingo houses there. As for online gambling, while it is illegal, it is not monitored and therefore, players in the country can access international casinos. Doing this is always going to be a bit of a risk, and players in the CAR who choose to do so should make sure that they approach said sites with caution. Due to a low number of people in the country having access to the internet, there are few casinos that are operating here but that isn’t to say that there still aren’t some good options for those who can access them.
Find the Best Central African Republic Casino Online
Gambling online is technically illegal in the Central African Republic. With only around 5% of the country having access to the internet though, this is rarely enforced and there are some international casinos that operate there without a license. Of course, with this being the case, it can be easy for players to end up playing at a site that can not be trusted. When it comes to finding safe and enjoyable casinos, we have several criteria that we stick to.
- Does the operator accept players from the Central African Republic?
- Do they have any safety features like end-to-end encryption?
- What types of games do they offer?
- Do they work with reputable software developers?
- What currencies are accepted at the casino? Do they accept cryptocurrencies?
- Are there any experiences documented online by other casino players?
- Are players from the Central African Republic able to take part in welcome bonuses and other promotions?
With the law in the Central African Republic rarely being enforced, it means that a lot of questionable operators may be running sites in the country. Knowing what to keep an eye out for in these circumstances is tricky. Thankfully, here at GoodLuckMate, we’ve got years of experience doing just that, and we’ve spent our time finding the safest casinos in the Central African Republic just for you. You can check out our detailed reviews of casinos elsewhere on our site. While safety is our biggest concern, we also take a look at the gaming options that are available and the bonuses and promotions that exist for players.
Gambling Regulation – Central African Republic Penal Code
There is no gambling commission that exists within the country, instead, gambling is simply outlawed by the country’s penal code. Offering illegal gambling activities are punishable by a prison sentence according to the law. That being said, the country does allow some forms of gambling to take place, with a regulated lottery being held. Outside of this though, almost all forms of gambling are banned including sports betting and bingo.
Online gambling is not specifically mentioned, presumably due to the general lack of access to the internet within the country, but it is widely accepted that it is forbidden under the aforementioned laws. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t options though, with many international casinos operating in the country without a local license.
Localized Online Casinos
Due to the low number of online players in the Central African Republican, there are no online casinos that are targeted towards them. The main language that is spoken in the country is Sango, which is not offered by any online casinos. The second main language in the country, however, is French, and there are many online gambling sites that are available in this language.
Many of the sites that are available in the country are going to have promotional bonuses and welcome bonuses, though, players will have to check to see if visitors from the CAF are able to claim them. The biggest problem that people are likely to encounter is finding sites that will allow them to gamble there. Thankfully, our list of casinos available in the country should help with this.
Gambling with the Central African Republican Franc
Due to the fact that gambling is not allowed in the country and they are not an international market, no casino is going to accept the local currency, the Central African Republic Franc as a currency to play with. The currency is shared between six different African countries but it is not very strong.
One option that could exist for players in the CAF is cryptocurrencies. There are no laws in place in the country about the use of cryptocurrencies, and while it is not common in the country due to a lack of internet activity, it is still an option for players who are based there. Many of the casinos which do operate in the country are likely to accept it as a form of payment.
Casinos in Central African Republic
The Central African Republic has one of the weakest economies in the world and as such, there is little online gambling that takes place there. Gambling is also illegal in the country, which means that there are no casinos or bingo houses that are set-up to play. The only legal gambling option for residents is the lottery.
As we’ve already discussed, if players in the country want to gamble, they have to do so illegally. This can be a risky business, especially when it comes to money. If a casino is operating without a license, the player has to trust that casino with their money. While it is not common, this can lead to casinos keeping players’ funds as they have no way to protect themselves. One thing players can do is to make sure that they read our reviews elsewhere on the site to be sure that they are approaching the correct casinos and are doing so with caution.
Dispute resolution – can I get help from a third party?
A gambling license is intended to protect players, and one of its main functions is to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes when they come up. If you have a dispute with a casino, and the casino is being unreasonable, the gambling authority will help you. For many licenses, this means you can contact the gambling authority to get help processing your withdrawals, claiming money the casino has debited from your account, or resolving other disputes that might arise. The likelihood that the gambling authority will help you in ways that are effective, however, depends on the procedures they have in place for this. This is yet another reason why choosing to play at a casino that has a safe license is important.
Getting help directly from the gambling authority is not always necessary, or even an option. A lot of regulators have now enforced third-party dispute resolution. This means casinos must have an agreement with an arbitrator who will look into disputes on the behalf of players from a particular casino. This ensures your dispute will be reviewed by an objective third party. All trusted online casinos have information about arbitration on their websites if they use this option, or they’ll have the contact information for the gambling authority you should consult. However, you should always try to resolve your issues with the casino first, and a lot of casinos have separate email addresses specifically for handling complaints.
Secure payments – can I trust a casino with my money?
If you’re worried about the security of the transactions you’re making at a casino, you should look for a logo with the acronym PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and this is something the payment industry has created. If you see this logo, it means the casino can be trusted for safe money transactions since they follow all of the rules set by the payment industry. Information about this can also be found in an FAQ section on the casino’s website.
Another thing to look out for in terms of payments is where your money is kept while you play. Some gambling authorities, all of the best ones actually, regulate what the casino can do with your money while they are holding it. Your money shouldn’t go into a general bank account held by the casino; it should go into an account that is strictly for holding player funds. This means that as long as you have the money in your player account, it can’t be spent by the casino. Your deposit will be kept separate from the operating funds of the casino until your player account is empty, which will happen if you make a funds withdrawal or if you lose the money while playing.Fair gaming – do the games give me a fair chance to win?
The best known system tool for ensuring that a casino offers fair games is eCogra; however, there are other providers that also offer these kinds of systems. You want to make sure that the casino is using a certified third-party control system to ensure that the games of chance you’re playing are actually based on chance and not on other types of metrics. Rigged games are ones that have been set up to pay out less than they claim to or ones that give some players a greater chance of winning than others.
The eCogra logo can often be found in the footer of the casino’s website, but not all casinos choose to display it. If you can’t see this logo, go to the FAQs and see if you can find information about random number generators. If there are no FAQs on the site, check out their terms and conditions or contact the casino’s support and ask how they ensure their games are safe.
Encrypted website – how is my information kept safe?
An SSL-encrypted website should be mandatory for any casino, and very few casinos operate without this or similar safe encryption features. Always keep in mind that you are giving the casino quite a bit of sensitive information, including your payment details. When you’re uploading and sending documents to verify your identity, you want to make sure that no unauthorized third-party has access to them. Site security, therefore, doesn’t only include the website itself but also what the casino does on the backend. You should always look into a casino’s data security. You’ll normally find information about this in their terms and conditions and their privacy policy. If in doubt, contact their support and ask for more detailed information.
Most trustworthy casinos have information about site security in the website footer, so simply scroll down and look for the logo of a well-known security system.
Gambling license – can I play at a casino from my country?
The gambling license a casino operates under will have a big impact on your security. Not all licenses are equally safe for players for the simple reason that they are issued by different gambling authorities that work in different ways and have different rules. The rules and regulations may be quite similar, but the way they are enforced is a different story entirely. For example, if a casino doesn’t comply with the regulations, some gambling authorities may just issue a fine while others may revoke the casino’s license outright. How often gambling authorities show up for an unscheduled inspection or control will also vary.
The biggest differences between a safe, high quality gambling license and one that isn’t as good will usually show up in the areas of fair gaming, dispute resolution and the rules and systems for identifying and handling problem gamblers (responsible gambling). If your country of residence has its own gambling authority, playing at casinos that are licensed by them will be the safest option for you. Other international licenses that can be trusted are issued by the Malta Gambling Authority and the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. Curacao eGaming is getting better at protecting players whereas licenses from Panama and Costa Rica, for instance, are considered less safe. The worst option is obviously a casino with no license whatsoever.
Our casino experts have tried and tested all aspects of each and every casino, so you can feel confident when signing up.
