Gambling Laws in Ethiopia
Gambling in Ethiopia is legal but underdeveloped, as of May 2019. Within the
Ethiopian gambling legislation, the legislation from 1981 which established the National Lottery Administration still functions as a main regulatory act of all gambling activities in the country with exception of sports betting. The Sport betting License Directive No 83/2005 functions as a regulative framework for all the betting in the country including online betting which is the only online gaming sector regulated in Ethiopia. Other forms of online gambling, however, are not regulated.
The regulatory body of the land-based activities in the country and also organizer of the gambling market is the National Lottery Administration. According to
Ethiopian gambling laws minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Ethiopia?
No, all forms of online gambling are unregulated in Ethiopia, with the exception of online sports betting. |
Online Casinos in Ethiopia
There are no casinos operating in Ethiopia, as of May 2019.There are also no
online casinos in Ethiopia. In the 1980s, a casino did exist at the Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa, but was closed due to criminal activities. A proposal for reopening of a casino was made in 2006 but the same was not approved by the authorities. On the other side online gambling has never been specifically regulated. Foreign
internet casino sites are not blocked from accessing the Ethiopian gambling market by the respective authorities.
Online Poker in Ethiopia
As of May 2019 there are no
online poker sites in Ethiopia. As there are no specific
Ethiopian online poker laws, no Ethiopian online poker licenses have been on the offer. Foreign online poker sites, are not blocked from accessing the Ethiopian gambling market.
Online lottery in Ethiopia
Lotto games are the most popular forms of gambling in Ethiopia. In 1981, the National Lottery Administration of Ethiopia was established and launched the so called “Regular” lottery in the country. Some of their most popular current games include the Leyou Lottery, the Zehone Lottery as well as the instant Fetan Lottery.
Online lottery in Ethiopia, however, is still not an option. Foreign
online lotto sites are not being blocked from accessing the Ethiopian market.
Online bingo in Ethiopia
Similar as in cases with the other gambling sites, there are also no
online bingo sites in Ethiopia. Since there are no specific
Ethiopian online bingo laws, there have been no offers for licenses regarding online bingo by the respective gambling authorities, as of May 2019. Foreign online bingo sites are not blocked from accessing the Ethiopian market.
Online sports betting in Ethiopia
Various forms of sports betting in Ethiopia are legal under the current gambling and betting legislation. The National Lottery is the main provider of sports betting opportunities in the country. As of May 2019, they also function as administrators of the only
online sportsbook site in Ethiopia, the Abbysinia bet site. Foreign
internet sportsbook sites can also access the market as there is no blockage of addressed by the respective authorities.
Online daily fantasy sports in Ethiopia
Online DFS sites in Ethiopia do not have a legally regulated status. Considering the non-regulated status of much of the online gambling sector in the country, it is very probable that
internet Daily Fantasy Sports would not receive soon a legal status in Ethiopia.
