Gambling and online casinos in Tanzania

Tanzania is one of the fastest growing gambling markets in East Africa.

Here, gambling is legal, licensed and makes a significant contribution to the country's economy.

Regulation is done by a public authority and a transparent legal framework makes Tanzania attractive to international casino and betting operators.

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Historical context

Gambling in Tanzania began to develop in the 1960s and 1970s, when the first lotteries and gaming clubs for tourists opened on the Indian Ocean coast.

After the reforms of the 1990s, the government legalized gambling and in 2003 established the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT) -

a national regulator overseeing all types of gambling.

From this point, Tanzania became one of the pioneers of legal gambling in East Africa, including online betting and digital casinos.

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Legislation and regulation

The main regulation is Gaming Act No. 4 of 2003, supplemented by Gaming Regulations 2012 and subsequent 2021 amendments.

The regulator is the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT), subordinate to the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

Main provisions of the legislation:

• gambling is allowed with a GBT licence;
• licenses are issued for a period of 5 years;
• gross operator income tax (GGR) - 20%;
• the minimum age of a player is 18 years;
• online gambling is governed by separate permissions with a server in Tanzania;
• mandatory integration with the TRA (Tanzania Revenue Authority) tax system.

The state actively uses gambling revenues to finance sports, education and infrastructure.

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Legal forms of gambling

Tanzania officially allows:

• casinos and gaming clubs;
• bookmakers and online betting;
• national and private lotteries;
• virtual and live games;
• sweepstakes and bingo halls.

Major operators:

• SportPesa Tanzania - leader in online betting;
• Premier Bet, Betika, PariMatch Africa, 1xBet Tanzania;
• Le Grande Casino Dar es Salaam - flagship of the land sector;
• Palm Beach Casino Zanzibar is a popular tourist casino.

According to Gaming Africa Review 2024, there are more than 35 licensed operators in the country, and the market turnover exceeds $450 million per year.

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Online gambling

Online gambling in Tanzania has been officially allowed and regulated since 2015.

The country was one of the first in the region to introduce an electronic licensing system for online operators.

Popular destinations:

• sports and esports betting;
• online casinos and slots;
• live games and virtual lotteries;
• crypto-gambling (unofficially allowed if you have a license for online operations).

Popular payment systems:

• M-Pesa Tanzania, Airtel Money, Tigo Pesa, Halopesa;
• bank transfers (CRDB, NBC, NMB Bank);
• cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, USDT, Tron) - on international platforms.

According to the East Africa iGaming Report 2024, the number of active online players in Tanzania exceeds 1.5 million, and the online gambling market is estimated at $250 million.

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Economic role

The gambling sector is an important part of Tanzania's economy.

Key indicators (2023):

• tax revenues - about $40 million;
• contribution to GDP - 0.9%;
• more than 12,000 jobs in the casino and online betting sector;
• export of services - at the expense of international players and online operators.

GBT is actively developing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, in which part of the profits from gambling is directed to support sports and youth initiatives.

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Social and cultural context

Tanzania is a country with a multinational and religiously neutral society, which allows you to maintain a balance between economic interest and moral standards.

The church and Islamic organizations call for moderation, but society as a whole perceives gambling as a form of entertainment and a source of budget revenues.

GBT obliges operators to provide functions:

• self-locking;
• deposit limits;
• game time reminders.

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Prospects

Tanzania has high potential for further growth in online gambling.

The country is actively introducing digital licenses, supporting fintech innovations and attracting international companies.

Plans by 2030 include:

• creation of a regional licensing center e-Gaming Hub Dar es Salaam;
• integration of cryptocurrency payments into legal circulation;
• development of tourist casino zones in Zanzibar and the coast;
• improving market transparency through blockchain technologies.

According to the forecast of Gaming Africa Index 2030, the volume of the gambling market in Tanzania may reach $800 million, and the online segment will occupy up to 70% of the entire industry.

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Tanzania is one of the most stable and technologically advanced gambling countries in Africa.

It has an effective licensing system, online casinos, betting platforms and fintech infrastructure are developing.