🇲🇷Mauritania

Detailed overview

Mauritania at a glance

Mauritania (population reported in the range of approximately 4.5–5 million — figure not separately primary-verified; very young population, large informal sector) is a Northwest African Islamic Republic with a Sharia-based legal system, low banking penetration (~30%) and an active financial-inclusion and payments-modernisation agenda led by the BCM. The country carries material AML/CFT and country-risk context.

Crypto regime — no framework, BCM warning:

• No specific crypto/virtual-asset legislation; cryptocurrencies are not legal tender and not officially recognised
• BCM warning — the central bank has cautioned the public about crypto risk (volatility, illicit-use, consumer exposure); Islamic-finance principles influence the cautious stance; financial institutions discouraged from dealing in crypto
• Use and trade occur informally, typically via unregulated international platforms; no VASP/exchange/custody licensing regime
• Digital ouguiya (CBDC) — BCM–Giesecke+Devrient partnership announced April 2024; exploratory/test phase; explicitly distinct from decentralised crypto (positioned as a regulated alternative)
• Mining is not specifically prohibited but is subject to general law (electricity, tax, business licensing); secondary reports of mining activity are not primary-verified

Payments and e-money regime:

• Electronic-payment-services law — adopted by the Mauritanian Parliament in June 2021 (developed with the BCM, supported by UNCDF/AFI); created an enabling framework for low-value transactional payments and non-bank payment providers, expanding competition and financial inclusion
• BCM — central bank; regulates and supervises the banking and payment system, monetary policy and FX; AFI principal member (2017) with mobile-payment regulation among its commitments
• GIMTEL (Groupement Interbancaire de Monétique et des Transactions Électroniques) — national interbank switch; members include the BCM, MAURIPOST and all local banks; interoperable mobile-payment project under the BCM's modernisation policy
• Mobile money / mobile banking: Bankily (Banque Populaire de Mauritanie, with Mattel USSD), Mauritel "M-Post", Chinguitel "M-Pesa"; Islamic banks (e.g. Banque Al-Wava/Al-Waha) operate within the sector
• Currency: ouguiya (MRU), redenominated 2018 from MRO at 10:1; BCM-administered exchange arrangements

Gambling regime — Sharia-prohibited:

• No gambling statute, regulator or licence; the prohibition is broad and general, stemming from the application of Sharia (gambling is haram) in an Islamic Republic
• All forms — land-based casinos, sports betting, lotteries, online — are prohibited; no exceptions, no licensing process, no regulatory authority
• Online gambling is not expressly addressed by statute (a technical grey area) but is treated as covered by the general prohibition; offshore sites are not systematically blocked but participation is illegal
• Operating an illegal gambling establishment attracts fines or imprisonment; no minimum age (no legal gambling exists)

Last verified: May 2026. Reference rate: USD 1 = MRU 39.95 (1 MRU ≈ USD 0.0250). The ouguiya (MRU) replaced the old ouguiya (MRO) in 2018 at 10:1 — sources still quoting MRO show values ~10x different; ensure MRU is used.

Mauritania is a closed jurisdiction for gambling (Sharia-prohibited) and has no positive crypto regime (BCM warning, Islamic-finance-influenced); the only viable licensing path is BCM-supervised payments/e-money under the June 2021 electronic-payment-services law, in a low-inclusion, AML- and country-risk-exposed environment.

Is there a crypto licence in Mauritania?

No. There is no crypto or virtual-asset framework or licence in Mauritania. Cryptocurrencies are not legal tender, the BCM has warned about crypto risk, and Islamic-finance principles shape the cautious approach. Use is informal and offshore.

The legal foundation:

• No specific crypto/virtual-asset statute; no recognition as money or a licensed activity
• BCM warning — public caution on crypto risk; financial institutions discouraged from dealing in crypto; Islamic-finance influence
• Digital ouguiya (CBDC) — BCM–Giesecke+Devrient (April 2024), exploratory; a regulated alternative, not decentralised crypto
• AML/CFT obligations under the general framework apply to regulated institutions (relevant given Mauritania's FATF/AML context)

Structure:

• No VASP/exchange/custody/token-issuance licence exists; no regulatory authority for crypto
• Activity is informal/offshore (international platforms); no consumer or investor protection
• No crypto-specific tax regime; general law (tax, business licensing, electricity) would apply to any activity such as mining

Operational reality:

• An unregulated, religiously-cautious environment with no positive regime — not a viable jurisdiction for licensed crypto activity
• The only state digital-money initiative is the BCM CBDC exploration (distinct from crypto), at an early stage
• Any future framework would require new BCM/legislative action; verify status directly with the BCM and assess AML/sanctions exposure before any planning

Payments & E-money (Banque Centrale de Mauritanie)

Best for banks and non-bank payment providers prepared to operate under BCM authorisation and integrate with the GIMTEL national switch.

What it is: BCM authorisation to provide electronic-payment and stored-value services under the June 2021 electronic-payment-services law, or banking/Islamic-banking licensing under the Mauritanian banking framework.

Who it suits: Banks, mobile-money operators and non-bank payment providers building BCM-supervised payment and wallet services in a low-inclusion, modernising market.

Covers: Electronic payments, stored value/e-money and mobile money, integrated through GIMTEL; conventional and Islamic-finance banking products.

Operational requirement: Local entity; BCM authorisation under the June 2021 law and implementing texts; GIMTEL integration; compliance with BCM prudential rules, AML/CFT and FX arrangements; Sharia-compliant structuring where operating as an Islamic institution.

Headline figures

• Primary instrument: electronic-payment-services law adopted June 2021 (non-bank payment providers; low-value transactional payments)
• Regulator/infrastructure: BCM (sole financial-sector authority); GIMTEL national switch (BCM, MAURIPOST, local banks)
• Mobile money: Bankily (BPM/Mattel USSD), Mauritel M-Post, Chinguitel M-Pesa; Islamic banks active
• Capital/operating thresholds: set by the BCM under the 2021 law and implementing texts — not primary-verified here
• Currency: ouguiya (MRU); redenominated 2018 from MRO at 10:1

Is there a gambling licence in Mauritania?

No. All gambling is comprehensively prohibited in Mauritania. As an Islamic Republic with a Sharia-based legal system, gambling (maisir/qimar) is haram; there is no gambling statute, regulator or licence, and no exceptions for any format.

The legal foundation:

• Sharia-based legal system — Mauritania is an Islamic Republic; the prohibition is broad and general (gambling is haram); no specific statute permits or regulates gambling
• No dedicated gambling regulator or licensing authority; no application process exists
• Online gambling not expressly addressed by statute (technical grey area) but treated as covered by the general prohibition; offshore sites not systematically blocked but participation illegal

Structure:

• All forms — casino, sports betting, lottery, online — prohibited; no licensed venues; advertising/marketing of gambling forbidden
• Operating an illegal gambling establishment attracts fines or imprisonment
• No minimum age, player protection or technical-standards regime (no legal gambling exists)

Gambling — not available (Sharia-prohibited)

Not applicable — there is no gambling licence in Mauritania and none can be issued.

What it is: There is no gambling authorisation in Mauritania; all gambling is prohibited under the Sharia-based legal system.

Who it suits: No operator — market entry is not legally possible.

Covers: Nothing; all gambling (land-based and online) is prohibited.

Operational requirement: Not applicable; operating or attempting to establish a gambling venue is illegal and exposes operators to fines or imprisonment.

Headline figures

• Status: comprehensively prohibited (Sharia-based legal system; Islamic Republic)
• Regulator / licence / statute permitting gambling: none
• Penalty: fines or imprisonment for operating illegal gambling
• Liberalisation outlook: none signalled (religiously grounded prohibition)

Costs and timelines at a glance

• Crypto: no specific law; not legal tender; BCM risk warning; Islamic-finance-influenced; informal/offshore use; digital-ouguiya CBDC exploration (Apr 2024, distinct from crypto)
• Payments primary instrument: electronic-payment-services law adopted June 2021 (non-bank payment providers; low-value transactional payments)
• Payments regulator/infrastructure: BCM (sole authority); GIMTEL national switch (BCM, MAURIPOST, local banks)
• Mobile money: Bankily, Mauritel M-Post, Chinguitel M-Pesa; Islamic banks active
• Payments capital/operating thresholds: set by BCM — not primary-verified here
• Gambling: comprehensively prohibited (Sharia-based legal system); no regulator/statute/licence; operating illegal gambling → fines or imprisonment
• Currency: ouguiya (MRU); redenominated 2018 from MRO at 10:1
• FX: USD 1 = MRU 39.95 (1 MRU ≈ USD 0.0250)

Who Mauritania suits and who it does not

Suitable for

• Banks and non-bank payment providers prepared to obtain BCM authorisation under the June 2021 electronic-payment-services law and integrate with the GIMTEL national switch in a low-inclusion, modernising market
• Mobile-money operators and Islamic-finance institutions able to operate Sharia-compliant products under BCM supervision
• Groups with strong AML/CFT and country-risk capacity and independent counsel able to verify BCM requirements directly and assess Mauritania's FATF/AML and sanctions-adjacent context

Not suitable for

• Any crypto/virtual-asset business — there is no framework or licence, crypto is not legal tender, the BCM has warned against it, and Islamic-finance principles shape a cautious stance
• Any gambling operator — all gambling is comprehensively prohibited under the Sharia-based legal system; no regulator, statute or licence exists, and operating attracts fines or imprisonment
• Payment/fintech firms needing crypto on/off-ramps, or expecting near-term crypto or gambling liberalisation (neither is signalled; gambling prohibition is religiously grounded)
• Businesses without the AML/CFT and country-risk capacity to operate in a low-inclusion, sanctions-adjacent environment, or unwilling to structure Sharia-compliant products where required