This article is a complete guide on gambling in Zambia. The Republic of Zambia has legalized three forms of gambling; sports betting, casino gambling and lottery games. The legal gambling age is 18.
With no mention of online gambling in Zambia's gambling legislation, players are free to play at offshore online gambling sites. For those who prefer gambling at land-based casino establishments, they currently have four casinos to choose from.
Types of Gambling in Zambia
- Lotteries: Zambian Lotto is the exclusive operator of the national jackpot game.
- Land-Based Casinos: At present. Zambia has four land-based casinos, two situated in Livingstone, one in the capital Lusaka, and another one in Makeni.
- Sports Betting: Sports betting is popular in Zambia. Bets can be placed over the phone, at betting shops and through online betting platforms.
- Online Gambling: Although online gambling is not addressed in gaming laws, there are some reputable online gambling sites that accept Zambians. They offer casino games like video slots, video poker and table games.
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Gambling Legislation and Regulation in Zambia
Gambling legislation in Zambia currently consists of three main acts. The State Lotteries Act was enacted to control and allow lottery games and pools. The Casino Act, which is the most significant piece of gambling legislation in Zambia, regulates the procedures for licensing casino operators within the nation's borders and even grants temporary casino licenses in special circumstances. And the Betting Act established a Betting Board that regulates betting operators.
Gambling operators are required to obtain relevant casino or betting licenses to legally operate in Zambia. With respect to the casino gambling laws, no licensed casino gaming establishment is permitted to operate any table games or gaming machines in excess of the number agreed upon in their license application. Licenses expire after 5 years, after which they need to be renewed.
Click here to visit the official site for the Zambia Casino Act.
Lotteries in Zambia
The Zambian Lotto is a nationwide lottery game. To play the Zambian Lotto you need to pick 6 numbers between 1 and 39. You win the jackpot if you guess all 6 numbers, which normally pays more than 200,000 Kwachas, and keeps increasing until there is a winner.
The biggest jackpot won by one person was a jackpot amount of 78 Million Kwachas after sharing a 858 Million Kwacha jackpot with eleven other lucky participants. Outside of the top prizes, when playing the Zambian Lotto you also win a prize if you guess 5 numbers, 4 numbers and 3 numbers. Lotto draws are televised every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening on Muvi TV.
Land Based Casinos in Zambia
At the time of writing, the Zambian government has licensed and regulated four land-based casinos. The Great Wall Casino in Lusaka boasts a poker room with Texas Hold'em spread and over 30 slot machines. You can also play popular table games, including American Roulette, Blackjack and Caribbean Stud Poker.
The New Fairmount Hotel and Casino in Livingstone has 30 gaming machines, 2 Roulette tables, 2 Blackjack tables and a Poker table. The casino is open daily from 8pm.
The Falls Casino, another licensed gaming establishment in Livingstone, boasts 77 gaming machines, including traditional slots, multi-line slots, and video poker machines. The casino is open from 10am daily.
There is also the Majestic Casino Resort, Zambia's fourth casino, which is located in Makeni. Open from 11am daily, the casino offers a wide selection of gaming machines and table games you can play.
Sports Gambling in Zambia
Sports betting is a popular pastime and activity in Zambia. Zambians are fond of betting on their favorite football teams and players. They also bet on other international sporting events such as cricket and boxing.
Several licensed sports betting companies exist in Zambia, including Sports4Africa, which offers fixed odds betting and operates in emerging African markets. Sports bettors can walk into betting shops located in Zambia's capital of Lusaka and place bets on football matches, tennis and other world games. Although it must be said that football betting is by popular the most popular form of sports betting.
Online Sports Betting in Zambia
The Zambian gambling laws don't make any mention about online gambling. Due to the convenience of online sports betting, there are many Zambians who bet on sports on the Internet on their desktops, laptops, or mobile phones.
Sports4Africa Zambia has their own online sports betting platform, meaning sports bettors don't even need to visit one of their betting shops to place a bet. This online sportsbook is fully licensed and certified by the government, allowing them to offer sports betting services, including pre-game betting, live in-play betting, and mobile betting across a wide range of sports and virtual sports games.
With the sports betting market still in its infancy in Zambia, you won't already find a proliferation of land-based sports betting shops to choose from, but considering it's possible to bet on sports online, it's not going to be a problem for you.
Online Casinos in Zambia
Although there are no licensed online casinos currently available for casino players in Zambia, many offshore online gambling operators licensed in other jurisdictions welcome players from Zambia, although you'll be using Dollars or Euros instead of Zambian Kwachas.
With so many options available to Zambians, it can be worthwhile checking out our Zambian online casino section where we recommend some of the best online casinos. All of the reputable ones accepting Zambians are mobile-friendly and compatible with all the major mobile operators in Zambia including MTN.
About Zambia
Zambia is a fairly young country having gained independence in 1964. Located in South-Eastern Africa, Zambia is surrounded by Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, and Congo.
With a population of a bit more than 14 million people and with over 60% of Zambians owning a mobile phone, this has contributed to the rise of mobile sports betting. The official language of Zambia is English, which is used to conduct business and in schools. The main local language, especially in the capital Lusaka, is Bemba and/or Nyanja.
The Republic of Zambia is a member of the Gambling Regulators of Africa Forum (GRAF) in which member states meet to discuss gambling policies.
