🇿🇼For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
Operating in Zimbabwe: 20% tax, ad limits
Online sports betting is legal and locally licensed in Zimbabwe under the 2000 Gaming Act. As of 2026, a 25% tax is withheld from player winnings and operators pay a 20% GGR tax. Online casino is in a grey market.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of Zimbabwe is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Lottery | Licensed |
| Online casino · Online poker | Unregulated |
Regulator and player protection in Zimbabwe
Self-exclusion scheme
Operator-provided self-exclusion; no national register
How players exclude themselves; what it covers is in the player guide
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Advertising stance
Limited
Whether you can run TV / sponsorship / paid-social campaigns
Which casinos & betting sites are licensed in Zimbabwe?
See the full official list of licensed operators and their authorised domains.
Heads-up for operators
2 items · last change 8 Oct 2026
A parliamentary portfolio committee recommended raising the levy collected from licensed bookmakers from 2% to at least 4% to strengthen the Lotteries and Gaming Board's resources, with implementation targeted for the end of June 2026; whether it was adopted is not recorded (trade press).
Bookmaker Levy Increase Proposed
A parliamentary committee formally proposes to increase the levy on bookmakers from 2% to at least 4% to fund community projects.
Source: 1
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Licence Types in Zimbabwe
4 licence types are listed for Zimbabwe; each says who issues it and what it covers.
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Licence | Lotteries and Gaming Board | Up to 10 years | For the operation of land-based casino establishments. |
| Lottery Licence | Lotteries and Gaming Board | Up to 10 years | For entities organizing and managing lottery draws. |
| Bookmaker's Licence | Lotteries and Gaming Board | Up to 10 years | For operators running betting shops, including sports and horse racing. Can be extended to online services. |
| Gaming House Licence | Lotteries and Gaming Board | Up to 10 years | For the operation of gaming machines like slot machines. |
Licensing model
Zimbabwe's regulatory framework is based on the Lotteries and Gaming Act of 2000, which predates the modern internet. Online gambling is not explicitly regulated through a standalone remote gaming licence. Instead, land-based bookmakers and casinos may offer online services under their existing licences, which creates a legal grey area for the online casino and poker verticals.
Gambling tax: 20% of GGR
Detail
Licensed operators pay a 20% tax on Gross Gambling Revenue (GGR). This is a final tax, meaning operators are exempt from standard Corporate Income Tax on their gambling revenue.
Zimbabwe's gambling tax next to neighbours and nearby markets
Each bar is the headline operator tax as that country's own page states it, for Zimbabwe, the nearest other markets (marked “nearby”) that tax gross gaming revenue. Hover or tap a bar to see what it is made of.
Year-1 cost: fee schedule not yet published
An official, publicly accessible fee schedule is not available on the Lotteries and Gaming Board's website. The fees cited in a 2021 news report are outdated and cannot be independently verified through official government sources as of May 2026.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Casino Licence (Application / Annual) | no published fee schedule Source2 | A 2021 report mentioned a fee of $250,000, but this is not confirmed for 2026. |
| Bookmaker's Licence (Application / Annual) | no published fee schedule Source2 | A 2021 report mentioned a fee of $50,000, but this is not confirmed for 2026. |
| Lottery Licence (Application / Annual) | no published fee schedule Source2 | A 2021 report mentioned a fee of $250,000, but this is not confirmed for 2026. |
| Technical Certification | no published fee schedule | Costs are determined by independent test labs and are not set by the regulator. |
| Operator GGR Tax | 20% of Gross Gambling Revenue Source3 | Effective January 1, 2026. |
Year 1 estimate
Year 1 cannot be totalled: gov fee schedule not published
The official government fee schedule for licensing is not published, making a reliable Year-1 cost estimate impossible.
Which foreign licences Zimbabwe accepts
All 8 foreign licences listed here are tolerated in Zimbabwe.
ToleratedMalta (MGA)
MGA-licensed sites are accessible and used by players, with no significant history of targeted enforcement against them.
United Kingdom (UKGC)
Similar to MGA sites, UKGC-licensed operators are accessible without player-level prosecution.
Curaçao
A large number of Curaçao-licensed operators serve the Zimbabwean market and are widely used.
Alderney (AGCC)
No specific enforcement actions have been noted against operators licensed in Alderney.
Kahnawake (KGC)
Operators with this licence are accessible to players in Zimbabwe.
Anjouan (AGB)
Anjouan-licensed sites are generally accessible.
Isle of Man (GSC)
No specific blocking or enforcement against Isle of Man licensees has been observed.
Gibraltar (GRA)
Gibraltar-licensed operators are accessible in the market.
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses allowed
Inducement ads: Allowed
The regulatory framework for iGaming bonuses and advertising is underdeveloped, lacking specific directives from the Lotteries and Gaming Board. Compliance is primarily guided by general advertising principles from a self-regulatory body and an increasing emphasis on responsible gambling.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Allowed
- VIP schemes
- Allowed
- Loyalty schemes
- Allowed
- Cashback
- Allowed
Welcome bonuses, VIP programs, loyalty schemes, and cashback offers are all common and permitted, with no specific prohibitions or restrictions identified in current regulations.
What the operator can advertise
- Penalties
The self-regulatory Advertising Standards Authority of Zimbabwe (ASAZIM) can instruct its members to cease accepting advertising from a non-compliant advertiser.
Advertising governance is primarily handled by the self-regulatory Advertising Standards Authority of Zimbabwe (ASAZIM), which requires all advertising to be 'legal, decent, honest and truthful' and not target minors.
Advertising: limited
Zimbabwe's Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26] regulates gaming through the Lotteries and Gaming Board (under the Ministry of Home Affairs) via licensing and operator conditions, but it predates digital advertising and sets no explicit statutory rules for ad channels; only licensed operators may lawfully offer and therefore promote gambling. The major ad platforms treat Zimbabwe as a non-allowlisted market: Google, Apple and Meta do not permit certified real-money gambling ads or apps targeting Zimbabwe, so digital promotion is effectively blocked at the platform layer even where a local licence exists. No meaningful sportsbook-vs-casino distinction appears in the statute: both fall under the same Board licensing regime, with domestic TV, radio, sponsorship and outdoor promotion effectively gated by whether the operator holds a valid LGB licence.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Banned | Zimbabwe does not appear in Google's country list of jurisdictions where gambling ads are permitted with certification. Because Google only serves gambling ads in explicitly allowlisted countries and requires a valid local licence plus Google certification, gambling advertisers cannot run Search Ads targeting Zimbabwe. This applies equally to sportsbook and casino advertisers.67 |
| App Store Publishing | Restricted | Apple App Store Review Guideline 5.3 permits real-money gaming, sports betting and lottery apps only where the developer holds the necessary licensing and permits in each jurisdiction, requires the app to be geo-restricted to licensed locations, and requires it to be free. A Zimbabwe-facing gambling app is therefore publishable only if the operator holds a valid Lotteries and Gaming Board licence and geo-limits the app accordingly. Absent a local licence, publishing to Zimbabwe users is not permitted.8 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Banned | Real-money gambling apps are permitted on Google Play only in a fixed list of jurisdictions, and Zimbabwe is not among them, so gambling apps cannot be distributed or promoted via Google Play in Zimbabwe. With no Play Store presence and no Google gambling-ad certification for Zimbabwe, app-install and app-store ads for gambling apps cannot run. The same non-allowlisting blocks store-level promotion for both betting and casino apps.910 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Banned | Meta permits online gambling and gaming ads only for advertisers who receive prior written permission from Meta and can evidence that the activity is licensed or otherwise lawful in the targeted territory. Zimbabwe is not an established allowlisted gambling-ad market for Meta, and no standard authorization pathway exists for Zimbabwe-targeted gambling ads, so such ads are not eligible to run. Any gambling ads reaching Zimbabwe users would fall outside Meta's permitted-market scope.11 |
| TV & Radio | Restricted | Zimbabwe's Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26] contains no dedicated broadcast-advertising provisions; instead, only operators holding a valid Lotteries and Gaming Board licence may lawfully offer and promote gambling, so licensed operators can advertise on domestic TV and radio subject to their licence conditions and general broadcasting standards. There is no separate statutory sportsbook-vs-casino advertising rule. Confidence is low because the statute is silent on specific broadcast ad limits and no published LGB advertising code was located.1213 |
| Sponsorships | Restricted | Sponsorship of events, teams or media by gambling operators is not separately prohibited under the Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26], and is treated as part of a licensed operator's promotional activity governed by Board licensing rather than by explicit statutory sponsorship rules. Only LGB-licensed operators may lawfully sponsor in connection with their gambling activities. Confidence is low as no specific statutory or LGB sponsorship provision was verified.1213 |
| Digital OOH | Restricted | Zimbabwe's gaming statute does not address digital out-of-home or billboard advertising specifically, so such promotion is permissible only for operators holding a valid Lotteries and Gaming Board licence and is otherwise governed by general outdoor-advertising and municipal rules. No gambling-specific OOH restriction was found in the Act. Confidence is low given the absence of an explicit statutory or regulator OOH provision.1213 |
Channel rules for Zimbabwe reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Zimbabwe enforces against unlicensed operators
The Lotteries and Gaming Board, backed by the Ministry of Home Affairs and national police, has significantly increased its enforcement activities since mid-2024. The current focus is on shutting down unlicensed physical betting shops and casinos to protect the tax base of licensed operators. While there is less focus on blocking offshore websites, the operational environment for unlicensed entities within Zimbabwe is increasingly hostile.
- June 2024: The Minister of Home Affairs announced a firm directive to curb illegal gambling operations nationwide.
- February 2026: The LGB, supported by the President's Office and law enforcement, launched a coordinated crackdown on illegal operators.
- April 2026: Authorities held a high-level meeting involving the LGB, police, and other government agencies to coordinate intensified enforcement against the shadow market.
Enforcement cases in Zimbabwe: 2 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Zimbabwe. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- January 2026
All Licensed Gambling Operators
TaxMassive tax hike imposedThe government implemented a new tax regime to increase state revenue from the expanding gambling sector.
Read-across: This substantial increase in operational costs could reduce profitability and potentially lead to market consolidation or exits.
- June 2024
Unlicensed gambling operators
Grey-MarketGovernment-led crackdown announcedThe government aims to curb illegal gambling activities that undermine licensed operators and pose risks to the public.
Read-across: Increased enforcement actions, including shutdowns and prosecutions, create a hostile environment for any operator without a local license.
Market size: 0.07B USD (2025)
Gross gaming revenue in Zimbabwe is approximately 70 million USD annually. The most popular form of gambling is Sports betting. Online gambling represents 50% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is Africasia Casino (Harare), Carribea Bay Casino (Kariba).
Market breakdown by vertical
- Land-based0.014B USD20.0%
- Sports betting0.042B USD60.0%
- Casino0.0035B USD5.0%
- Lottery0.0105B USD15.0%
Source: Focus GN Tax Metrics 2025/2026. Splits: online-casino 5.0%, sports 60.0%, land-based 20.0%, lottery 15.0%.
GGR figure16
Licensed operators: ~12
As of 19 Oct 2026, approximately 12 operators hold an active licence in Zimbabwe. Size your entry against this base before committing capital. Check them yourself on the official Lotteries and Gaming Board of Zimbabwe register, which lists each licensee and its authorised domains.
Notable licensed operators
AfricaBet
Betway Zimbabwe
World Sports Betting (WSB)
Fansport
Traps operators hit in Zimbabwe
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Underestimating the Impact of the 2026 Tax Regime
The steep increase in the operator tax to 20% of GGR (from 3%) and the player winnings tax to 25% represents a fundamental shift in the market's financial model. Operators who have not recalibrated their business models to account for this significant reduction in margin and potential impact on player behavior face serious viability risks.
Navigating the Ambiguity of Online Licensing
The governing Lotteries and Gaming Act (2000) does not contain explicit provisions for remote gambling. While the LGB issues licenses to operators with online platforms, the lack of a modern, dedicated online gambling law creates regulatory uncertainty, particularly for casino and poker products.
Ignoring Intensified Enforcement on Unlicensed Operations
Since mid-2024, the government has launched a coordinated crackdown on all unlicensed gambling operations. Any operator with a physical presence, agents, or local marketing without a license from the Lotteries and Gaming Board faces a high risk of shutdown, asset seizure, and prosecution.
Timeline: rules in force
- February 2026
Intensified Enforcement Campaign Begins
The LGB and national law enforcement begin a coordinated campaign to shut down illegal gambling operations across the country.
Source: 15
- January 1, 2026
New Tax Regime Takes Effect
A new, significantly higher tax regime takes effect and increases operator GGR tax to 20% and player winnings tax to 25%.
Source: 3
- June 2024
Crackdown on Unlicensed Gambling Announced
The Ministry of Home Affairs announces a significant crackdown on unlicensed gambling establishments operating without approval from the LGB.
Source: 14
- 2000
Lotteries and Gaming Act Enacted
The foundational Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26] is enacted and establishes the Lotteries and Gaming Board and the primary regulatory framework.
Source: 20
Operator myths vs reality in Zimbabwe
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythA Curaçao or Malta license is sufficient to legally operate in Zimbabwe.Reality
False. Zimbabwe does not recognise any foreign licences. While players using offshore sites are tolerated, establishing any local presence (offices, agents, local payment processing) without an LGB licence is illegal and risks being targeted in government crackdowns.
Sources14
- MythThe 20% GGR tax can be offset by corporate income tax.Reality
False. The 20% tax on GGR is a final tax. This means operators are exempt from paying Corporate Income Tax on their gambling revenue, but it also means the 20% rate is a direct and final levy on revenue with no deductions.
Sources3
- MythEnforcement is lax and only targets physical shops.Reality
False. Since 2024, the LGB, with police support, has launched a coordinated crackdown on all forms of unlicensed gambling to protect the licensed market and state revenue. Operating without a local licence carries a significant and increasing risk of shutdown and prosecution.
Sources15
Markets that work like Zimbabwe
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- IrelandReviewedMozambiqueResearched
Online casino and poker unregulated; betting and lottery licensed; licensed market; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly tolerated.
- EswatiniAI overviewGambiaAI overview
Online casino and poker unregulated; lottery licensed; licensed market; tax on GGR; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly tolerated.
- São Tomé and PríncipeAI overview
Online casino and poker unregulated; lottery licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 20–30%; foreign licences mostly tolerated.
Methodology & sources
This page is a Quick AI overview: a summary of public information, not yet checked against the law or the regulator. Treat it as a starting point. It has not yet been through our Deep AI Scan.
How we researchAsk us to run the Deep AI Scan for Zimbabwe
Documents cited on this page
- 1iGaming Today
- 2Yogonet (2021 data)
- 3Focus Gaming News
- 4FKKS Advertising Law
- 5Mondaq Advertising Guide
- 6Google Ads gambling and games policy (country list)
- 7Google gambling & games certification eligibility update (Mar 2026)
- 8Apple App Store Review Guidelines 5.3 (Gaming, Gambling, Lotteries)
- 9Google Play real-money gambling app country allowances
- 10Google Play gambling, games, and contests policy
- 11Meta online gambling and gaming advertising policy
- 12Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26] (ZimLII)
- 13Lotteries and Gaming Board of Zimbabwe
- 14Yogonet
- 15Focus Gaming News
- 16Focus GN Tax Metrics 2025/2026
- 17Focus Gaming News
- 18CMS Law
- 19Lotteries and Gaming Act Zimbabwe
- 20Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26]
- lgb.co.zw
- focusgn.com
- igamingtoday.com
- sigma.world
- zimbet.co.zw
- Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26], Zimbabwe’s governing statute; establishes the Lotteries and Gaming Board under the Ministry of Home Affairs
- Focus Gaming News: Zimbabwe committee targets June implementation of a higher bookmaker levy (trade press)
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in Zimbabwe (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the Zimbabwe player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 19 Oct 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Lotteries and Gaming Board of Zimbabwe. We are not a legal adviser.