Chosen By The Gods

About Chosen By The Gods

In a press release dated 27 August, the DRC’s Ministry of Finance reminded gambling operators that Ordinance No. 25/293 formally transferred responsibility for regulating the sector from the Ministry of Sports and Leisure to its own remit.

In the Ministry of Finance’s view, this ended “any institutional ambiguity” over who should oversee the DRC’s gambling industry.

“The Ministry of Finance reaffirms its determination to drive the reform of the gambling and games of chance sector in accordance with government directives, while upholding legal certainty for operators, transparency in activities and the protection of the Public Treasury’s interests,” said the press release, signed by Alain Malata Kafunda, the chief of staff to the DRC minister of finance.

About Chosen By The Gods

Lula said he intends to discuss the matter with his team and analyse potential measures to consider the social impact of online betting.

What the president does not acknowledge is that the government relies on revenue from the sector. In just the first seven months of 2026, BRL8.747 billion generated by sports betting has already flowed into public coffers. The Federal Revenue Service estimates the total could reach BRL16 billion by the end of the year. In 2025, nearly BRL9 billion was collected from sportsbooks.

The burning question is where such funds will come from if Lula shuts down the betting industry. Yet, no one points out to him that players will simply migrate to the illegal market. Betting will continue to exist, but without formal tax revenue, oversight or player protections.

What is Chosen By The Gods?

For the first half of 2026, lottery and land based gaming generated €317.9 million in gross gaming revenue, remainin flat compared with H1 2025. 

Lottery games contributed €254.5 million, up from €246.1 million, bolstered by a 9.1% increase in digital lottery revenue propelled by the Veikkaus app and product launches such as Milli (launched June 2025). 

Revenue from slot machines and physical table games declined to €63.4 million from €71.3 million, primarily due to a reduced retail network and fewer slot machines.