Sports betting - status in Haiti

1) Basic frame: without LEH - not possible

The gambling system in Haiti is built around LEH, the only body authorized to regulate "games of chance and money" under the September 4, 1958 law. Over the past ten years, the market has included sports betting companies that received concession contracts from LEH; among the researchers mentioned brands are local platforms like Paryaj Pam. This format makes retail (offline) sports betting legal if the operator has a valid LEH concession.

2) What is considered underground

LEH publicly reminds: any activity "on the sidelines" of the 1958 law is prohibited. The regulator publishes AVIS/NOTICE: for example, in 2023, LEH explicitly banned Sojaca Presco S.A. from operating in Haiti, emphasizing LEH's exclusive competence to regulate money and chance games. Conclusion: points or sites without a LEH mandate are underground, even if they look like "ordinary" betting points.

3) Online - "gray zone" and risks

There is no separate transparent regime for online betting/online casinos in Haiti: it is not uncommon for players to go to offshore sites accepting customers from Haiti on their own terms. LEH periodically addresses the market with warnings and point bans, but there is no local license for iGaming yet - this leaves online in the "gray zone" and without local consumer protection.

4) How to distinguish a legal offline point from a "shadow"

• the operator has a LEH concession contract (usually confirmed by a document/certificate at the location);
• points and cash desks operate within the LEH regulations (transaction logs, visible rules for accepting bets/payments);
• communication mentioning LEH as a regulator.

• no indication of LEH and legal status;
• aggressive "undocumented/KYC-free" promises, custom odds and "out-of-hand cash payments" without a check;
• evasive responses to the permit/concession question.

(Market research records the coexistence of formal and informal retail; that is why LEH is strengthening controls and public notices.)

5) Retail vs online: the practical difference for the player

Retail with LEH concession - formally in the legal field of Haiti; disputes and inspections fall under local jurisdiction.

Offshore sites - subject to foreign license/law; If your account is blocked or payments are delayed, you remain outside your local protection.

6) Where is the place of sports betting in the "big picture"

Historically, Haiti legalized gambling with decrees of the mid-20th century (casinos for hotels, etc.), but modern commercialization of sports has added concession models for betting services. In parallel, LEH is pursuing a course to restore order in retail (especially in lotteries), strengthening public supervision and targeted bans. The result - offline rates can be legal, online - remains a problem area until a separate law appears.

7) Memo to the player (without moralizing)

Check sign/licence: Ask about LEH concession. If they evade the answer, this is a disturbing sign.

Keep checks/receipts for bets and payouts.

Online - at your own risk: read the rules, KYC and withdrawal conditions; remember that you do not have local protection.

Limits: Set a budget in advance, don't "catch up" with losing.

In Haiti, sports betting can be legal if the LEH concessionaire is behind it. Everything that works outside the LEH mandate is underground (and a vulnerability for the player). Online bets through offshore remain a gray area without local protection, and the regulator continues to point to ban unlicensed market players. Until a separate online mode appears, the safest option is to check the status of the offline point via LEH and discipline your own bankroll.