Zimbabwe is one of the few African countries that regulates different forms of gambling. The country views gambling as a major source of revenue and as such, has put in place mechanisms to regulate the gaming industry. It is against this background that the Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gaming Board was established.
History and Growth
Gambling has been part of the Zimbabwean way of life since time immemorial. During the colonial era and for at least two decades after the country gained its independence in 1980, gambling was predominantly a reserve for the elite as casino games were only found inside hotel and casino resorts. There were, however, a few betting halls spread across the country where ordinary citizens could visit to place bets albeit horse racing bets only.
Things did take a major turn towards the turn of the new millennium in 2000 as ordinary black Zimbabweans started to show great affection for gambling services. At this juncture, more and more gambling establishments were set up across the country. These establishments were no longer horse racing betting halls only but they also offered different types of games, mostly arcade games.
Up until the turn of the new millennium, even though many people engaged in gambling across the country whether at hotel and casino resorts or horse racing betting halls, there weren’t any specific gambling laws. The gaming industry just operated in a legal grey area as gaming was viewed more like a pastime for drunken revellers.
In 1999, when authorities started noticing the rise of the gaming industry, the Lotteries and Gaming Act (Chapter 10:26) was promulgated. The Act was put in place mainly to plug the revenue leakages from the gaming industry. In line with this mission, modalities were put in place stating the measures that prospective gaming operators needed to satisfy to be licensed. Many came on board and as such, the gaming industry continued to grow.
Current Status
As the Lotteries and Gaming Act was promulgated in 1999, it predates online gambling. This, therefore means it doesn’t regulate online gambling but rather, only regulates gambling at brick-and-mortar establishments. Though the Act was amended two times in 2001 and 2002, it is still largely silent when it comes to the issue of online gambling. It’s against this background that currently, the online gambling industry operates in a legal grey area.
- More and more Zimbabweans are becoming interested in crypto, and crypto casinos are on the rise
- Exploring the Legal Gambling Scene in New Zealand
- How online casinos are changing the face of the gambling industry in Africa
- How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Online Gambling
Keep Reading
While this is the case, efforts have been made in recent times to amend the Lotteries and Gaming Act. According to Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, “Cabinet received and approved the amendment of the Lotteries and Gaming Act which is intended to improve revenue collection from the Gaming industry… Essential amendments to the Act include provisions allowing online gaming and compelling operators to incorporate technology compatible with LGB systems for monitoring and control purposes.”
The President hasn’t given his assent and gazette the recent amendments meaning they are not yet in operation. However, as there are just two steps left (presidential assent and gazette), chances are high that at any time, online gaming will be regulated in Zimbabwe.
A puzzling and surprising thing, however, is that even though there are just two steps left for the recent gaming amendments to take effect, the LGB (Lotteries and Gaming Board) has already granted operating licenses to some gambling operators that offer digital gaming solutions.
Top Zimbabwean Betting Sites
Several gambling operators have received licenses from the Lotteries and Gaming Board of Zimbabwe to offer digital gaming solutions. These include the following betting companies in Zimbabwe:
- Bolabet
- Bet247
- Africabet
- ZiBet
- Africa Lotto
- Bezbets
Round Up
Zimbabwe is a country where all sports punters and casino players are free to engage in their favourite gambling pastime. Players can do this either at brick-and-mortar establishments or online betting sites. This is necessitated by the fact that the Lotteries and Gaming Board which is the sole gaming regulator in the country has licensed both offline and online gaming operators.
