Mauritania is evaluating draft legislation to outlaw gambling and electronic betting in accordance with the nation’s Islamic principles. Officials are looking into oversight of gambling and betting activities, particularly those carried out through digital platforms, enforcement strategies and kid protection.
On October 1 in Nouakchott, Prime Minister El Moctar Ould Djay chaired over a meeting to evaluate the preliminary draft. On October 8, Youth Empowerment, Employment, Sports, and Civil Service Minister Mohamed Abdallah Ould Louli chaired over a second meeting.
The review comes after Ould Louli announced on September 16 that the government was drafting legislation to outlaw online betting and gambling games. He connected the suggestion to initiatives aimed at protecting children and teenagers from the dangers of using digital platforms and the internet.
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The preliminary draft was reviewed at the October 1 conference, which also discussed ways to increase coordination between the relevant government sectors, strengthen oversight, and fight gambling and betting. After the meeting, Ould Djay gave the pertinent sectors instructions to complete the religious, legal and technological parts of the draft before creating a more thorough version.
The consultation process was carried out at the meeting on October 8. The key aspects of the draft were presented to representatives of the involved government sectors, who then provided comments and suggestions and noted areas that needed more research.
The topics of discussion included gambling, games of chance and betting via media and digital platforms, as well as oversight procedures and legal actions to deal with these activities.
In light of the feedback received, Ould Louli requested for additional consultation and review of the draft in order to create an integrated version of the proposed law.
