Gambling Laws in Zimbabwe
Gambling in Zimbabwe is legal all land-based varieties. The central laws within the Zimbabwean gambling legislation are the
Lotteries and Gaming Acts 26/1998, 22/2001, 14/2002, as well as the Law No.1 from 2010 governing games of fortune, which together comprise the legal framework for regulation of land-based gambling games in Zimbabwe. Online gambling is not explicitly regulated within the mentioned legislation and most of the regulation of online games is derived from interpretation of the existing laws. This makes
online gambling in Zimbabwe, rather unregulated, as of January 2019.
The body responsible for regulation of the gambling activities in the country is the Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gaming Board. The Board consist of a chairman and eight other members appointed by the Minister of Home Affairs. The Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gaming Board is also the authority from which licenses for offering gambling products in Zimbabwe can be obtained. According to
Zimbabwean gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Zimbabwe?
Online gambling in Zimbabwe is in general unregulated as of January 2018, the only exception being various online betting providers operating the market. |
Online Casinos in Zimbabwe
There are several casinos in Zimbabwe, as of January 2019, the Regency Casino Harare, being one with highest reputation among them. However, as of today, none of the licensed casinos have offered
online casinos in Zimbabwe. As much of the online market in the country is not regulated, there are also no specialized licensed online casino providers. Due to this reason foreign
internet casino sites can be accessed from the country.
Online Poker in Zimbabwe
There are no specialized
Zimbabwean online poker laws, as of January 2019. Much of the online gambling market in the country is not regulated, and poker is also not an exception of this trend. Thus, there are no specialized licensed
online poker site in Zimbabwe, either. Foreign online poker website can easily be accessed by the residents of the country.
Online lottery in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe State Lotteries is the state licensed provider for all sorts of lotto games in the country. Zimbabwe State Lotteries was established in 1935 through an Act of the Parliament of Zimbabwe and falls under the office of the Permanent Secretary, from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. Their work is also supervised by the Lotteries and Gaming Board. Since 1935 the lottery has been offering various lotto games on the Zimbabwean market but did not introduce
online lottery in Zimbabwe yet. Foreign sites offering
online lotto games are blocked by the authorities. The ZimLotto and the instant scratch game Instant Win are among the most popular games of this lottery as of January 2019.
Online bingo in Zimbabwe
There are no specific
Zimbabwean online bingo laws. As much of the online gambling market in the country is not regulated, bingo is not an exception of this trend either. Thus, as of January 2019, there are no specialized sites for
online bingo in Zimbabwe. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, can be accessed by the residents of Zimbabwe.
Online sports betting in Zimbabwe
Online sports betting in the country is highly popular. There are various
online sportsbook sites in Zimbabwe, Supabets, being the one with highest rank among them. Their betting offers in Zimbabwe is quite rich, encompassing most of the available sports and sports event worldwide. Since 2016 the sportsbook has launched special smart phone app for easier access. Foreign
internet sportsbook sites are actively being blocked by the authorities.
Online daily fantasy sports in Zimbabwe
Online DFS sites in Zimbabwe do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that
internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive a legal status in Zimbabwe.