The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has suspended Baron Sports Gaming Ltd., operating as Forzza, effectively halting all its activities in the country. This action, disclosed on Thursday, mandates that Forzza cease operations immediately and withdraw all related advertising and promotional content.
The suspension follows findings that Forzza was repeatedly providing casino-style games beyond the scope of its licensed activities. According to RDB, Forzza's current license only allows the company to conduct sports betting.
The RDB cautioned that further enforcement actions could ensue if Forzza continues operations during the suspension period
In a statement to The New Times, a Rwandan newspaper, Forzza expressed its surprise at the suspension, noting that it had not received a detailed explanation from the regulatory body regarding the decision.
Rwanda is actively pursuing international operators to enhance its gambling market. Serge Nyombayire, the RDB’s COO, revealed to iGB last week that, prior to Forzza's suspension, there were 15 licensed operators in Rwanda’s gambling sector, including a national lottery provider. The revocation of Forzza's license reduces that number to 14.
Earlier this month, Rwanda welcomed three new operators into its market as part of its licensing initiative. ForteBet and Super Group’s Betway brand obtained licenses for both online sports betting and casino gaming, while ElephantBet was authorized solely for online sports betting.
With Rwanda still classified as an emerging market, Nyombayire emphasizes the importance of attracting reputable operators such as Super Group’s Betway. He stated, “Companies like Betway have proven their experience elsewhere, and their way of doing business has been seen as the proper way in so many aspects. For us, it really showcases that Rwanda is trying its best to really welcome these kinds of companies.
“Maybe also, these types of companies that have international experience, that have proven their best practices, can also support us in developing the next gambling law, whereby we can really benchmark on them, get more data from them, on what is needed to put things together. We believe in a sector that is interactive, that can exchange information from us as a regulator, but also we hope a lot from this type of operator. We believe it will be a very good way to learn from each other.”
