Population: 59.083.608
Active players: 19.900.000
Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
Regulated gambling products: Sports betting, horse racing, casino games, lottery, bingo
Operator types: Licensed online & land-based bookmakers and casinos / international bookies operating without license
Designated authority: Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT)
Status: Regulated
Tanzania is the third-biggest economy in East Africa and sports betting is considered as a major source of national revenue, as it brings around 1.5 billion shillings per month to the state treasury. Currently, there are more than 2,685 betting shops countrywide, with the vast majority being situated in Dar es Salaam. There are also various betting sites in Tanzania since online betting has become very popular among local players in recent years, due to the growth of the Internet and the 85% mobile penetration rate in the country.
All gambling activities are regulated by the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT) and online betting is considered legal since 2003 and the enactment of the Gaming Act Cap. 41. The GBT is also responsible for the issuance of licenses to online betting operators. Most of the current licensees are local brands, such as M Bet Tanzania. Nonetheless, many non-licensed international bookmakers, such as 1XBet and Bet365, operate freely within the fast-growing Tanzania bet market.
Betting in Tanzania - 5 things to know
- The legal gambling age stands at 18 years
- The 2003 Gaming Act Cap. 41 legalised all forms of gambling
- All licensed operators are taxed 25% on their GGR
- A 20% tax applies on the bettors’ net winnings
- Players are not prosecuted for betting on international bookmakers
Best betting sites in Tanzania
Right from the start, we present you the top bet sites in Tanzania. We selected them due to their high football odds, great promotions and lite mobile apps.
Online betting in Tanzania: The bookmaker environment
Online sports betting became officially legal on July 1, 2003, when the Gaming Act Cap. 41 was established by the government. Prior to that, the local gaming industry was regulated by the 1967 Pools and Lotteries Act and the 1974 National Lotteries Act. Currently, the online gambling market is fully regulated and all gaming activities are being monitored by the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT). Apart from being the official regulatory body, the GBT is also responsible for the issuance of licenses of online operators, as well as for the collection of gambling taxes.
At the moment, nearly all licensed sportsbooks (apart from Meridianbet Tanzania) are domestic, including brands like M-Bet and SportPesa. All licensees are subject to a 25% GGR tax. On the other hand, none of the major international bookmakers has a local permit; thus, no prominent foreign bookie that operates in the country is taxed. Bettors who opt for local operators are liable to 20% tax on their net winnings, while those who prefer popular international brands are not taxed.
Local players are free to place their bets on any international bookie they want. However, we know that it might be hard to choose among a plethora of selections. Therefore we decided to present to you the most popular ones.
1XBet Tanzania
1xbet tz offers excellent bonuses and promos, both to its newly registered and existing members. It is one of the sportsbooks with the highest EPL odds and more than 100 betting markets. Moreover, it has a lite mobile app, gives players the chance to use the shilling (TZS) as their currency and allows instant deposits/withdrawals via a large number of payments.
Bet365 Tanzania
Bet365 is among the top bookies when it comes to football betting. It offers high odds and 100+ betting markets on games of the top 5 European leagues and the Tanzanian Premier League. Furthermore, it provides punters with a quick mobile app, a very generous welcome bonus, an advanced live betting platform and lots of payment methods including e-wallets, like Skrill and Neteller.
22Bet Tanzania
22Bet welcomes bettors with an excellent first deposit bonus. It offers competitive odds and a wide selection of betting markets on matches of the English Premier League. It also offers a lite mobile app, daily promotions and a great live betting platform. When it comes to funding your account, it provides a wide variety of instant payments, such as Skrill, Neteller and EcoPayz.
Legal Tanzania betting companies
Almost all the betting sites that legally operate in the country are domestic, except for Meridianbet. Premier Bet Tanzania, Betpawa, TBet, Mkekabet, M-Bet and Sportpesa constitute some of the most prominent examples of local licensees. Nonetheless, there are many popular international bookies, such as Bwin and Betfair, that operate freely in the local market, despite the fact that they don’t have a permit. It is worth noting that no legal action has ever been taken against them. Furthermore, players who prefer betting on them, due to their higher odds and greater promotions, are not prosecuted by the authorities.
Betting companies in Tanzania with no tax
Bettors search for ways to bypass the 20% tax that applies on their net winnings. Those who opt for the licensed bookies must pay the aforementioned tax. However, those who place their bets on non-licensed international betting companies, such as Ladbrokes Tanzania and 888sport, are not taxed on their winnings. This happens due to the fact that, all the major foreign brands don’t fall under the Tanzanian state jurisdiction; therefore, they are not obliged to impose the 20% monthly tax on their players’ winnings.
The most popular deposit methods on domestic betting sites are Vodacom M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money, HaloPesa and Ezypesa. All five of them are local mobile payments powered by the country’s top telecommunication companies; namely Vodacom, Tigo, Airtel, Halotel and Zantel. At the moment, there aren’t any international sportsbooks that allow local punters to deposit via any of the aforementioned payment methods. Moreover, the fact that the majority of international bookies operating in the country, does not accept TZS deposits; led bettors to start using global payments, such as Skrill, Neteller and EcoPayz.
The betting market in Tanzania is newly regulated and although it is currently dominated by local bookmakers, an increasing number of international brands have expressed their interest in applying for a domestic license. Despite the fact that the 25% GGR tax which applies on all licensed operators is quite high; Parimatch has already filed its applications for a permit to the Gaming Board of Tanzania and more bookies are expected to follow its lead. Although the whole licensing procedure is quite slow, online betting is evolving steadily within the country and the future looks very promising.
Complete list of betting companies in Tanzania
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Due to the large domestic telecommunications infrastructure that allows speedy internet access via mobile phones, all the top betting sites in Tanzania provide players with useful mobile betting apps. The ones that truly stand out though, are 1XBet apk Tanzania and that of Bet365, due to their lite version and very quick interface.
Football is by far the most popular sport among Tanzanian bettors who are always in search of decent bookies in order to place their bets on the EPL and the Tanzanian Premier League. The best bookmakers when it comes to football betting, are Bet365 and Bwin, because they offer the most competitive odds and the biggest variety of markets.
There are various international bookies that operate freely within the Tanzanian market, nevertheless, not many of them allow locals to bet by using their own currency and language. Luckily, Betwinner Tanzania along with 1XBet, are two prominent global betting sites, that allow TZS deposits and offer the Swahili as a standard language.
Technically, Parimatch tz is not considered legal, since it doesn’t hold a domestic license yet. Nevertheless, local players are free to access any international bookmaker they like, without any fear of being prosecuted by the authorities; therefore, they can freely place their bets on Parimatch and take advantage of its unique offers.
No, Betway is among the international brands that decided not to operate within the local betting market. Therefore, Betway Tanzania is currently not accepting local bettors.
No, Betin Tanzania has ceased its operations and currently players cannot access its website. This occurred after the suspension of Betin’s license from the Kenyan authorities back in July 2019, due to outstanding tax obligations it had.