Zambia
For operators who want a clear land-based framework and familiar betting regulations, Zambia is a strong choice. Remote-based investors should know that public legal sources describe online gambling as unregulated. However, tax guidance includes digital betting and casino categories.
Casino Market describes the official gambling framework of Zambia. Our experts break down licensing anchors, tax treatment, and compliance controls to ensure a smooth entrance to the market with a functional platform.
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Legal Backbone
Zambia's gambling rules are not new, but fees and taxation have changed significantly in recent years.
Key events in the country’s gambling framework:
- 1957. The Betting Control Act establishes the licensing model for bookmakers and bookmaker premises, including restrictions on underage participation and election wagers.
- 1992. The Casino Act introduces the modern licence structure, inspector powers, and a quarterly 20% levy on gross revenue.
- 2021. Amendments present a modernised permit-fee layer for bookmaking, including the $10,000 cost entry cost for permits.
- April 2024. The fee unit value (instead of a classic monetary requirement) gets updated to ZMW 0.40 per unit.
- 2025. Compliance updates describe a 10% excise duty on stakes, which shifts sportsbook economics and reporting routines.
Zambia does not present a single authorisation for every product. Instead, the practical route depends on whether you run a sportsbook-style model, a gaming venue, or a mixed offer.
Casinos
Casinos are governed by the Casino Act (Chapter 157). The law requires a licence, limits the permit term to a maximum of 5 years, defines gross revenue, and establishes a fee system combining fixed charges and a percentage of GGR.
The authorisation can cover tables, games, and slot machines, and it is also linked to hospitality. The Act states that a licence is subject to another law, the carrying on and maintenance of a hotel on the legal premises.
Casino supervision sits with the Minister under the Casino Act, backed by dedicated inspectors. These investigators may enter and check licensed premises, audit records tied to gross revenue, and supervise cash counting at the close of business.
Minors are explicitly restricted in casino environments. The statute prohibits gaming by any young person under 18 and treats entry into gaming areas as an offence.
Money-laundering controls add another oversight channel. Zambia’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) issues guidance for gambling operators, with expectations around risk-based controls, customer due diligence, staff training, and reporting.
Betting
Betting sits under the Betting Control Act (Chapter 166). It sets the role of the Betting Control and Licensing Board, requires a licence for bookmakers, and includes core restrictions such as the under-18 ban and the prohibition on election-related wagers. The betting statute gives the Board a central role. That body can require information, impose conditions, and request properly audited accounts at least once per year.
Controls and AML Duties
The Casino Act is explicit on inspection powers. Inspectors can enter premises, audit records tied to gross revenue, and supervise cash counting. The same statute criminalises gaming by minors and requires operators to take reasonable steps to prevent underage entry into gaming areas.
Zambia’s Financial Intelligence Centre warns that gambling activity is susceptible to money laundering and terrorist financing hazards. The Guidelines describe a risk-based approach and set expectations around customer due diligence, internal policies, training, independent audits, and reporting obligations.
The document also includes specific record-keeping and reporting thresholds. It references record retention for at least 10 years, plus cash-transaction reporting for transactions equal to or above $10,000, with reporting timelines measured in working days.
B2B Licensing
Zambia's core betting and casino laws focus on B2C licences for bookmakers and casinos. They don't define separate licences for game studios, platform vendors, or aggregators.
In practice, suppliers usually enter through contractual arrangements with licensed operators, then align technical and compliance obligations with what the applicant must demonstrate to regulators and tax authorities.
Compliance Rules
Zambia's gambling laws include several operational restrictions backed by penalties.
Basics that shape product design and shop operations:
- no betting with persons under 18;
- no under-18 entry to licensed betting premises;
- no wagering on the results of elections in Zambia;
- alcohol prohibition on licensed betting premises;
- no games of chance on licensed betting premises.
Online Gambling Reality
Public legal overviews still describe iGaming as not regulated. That phrasing usually signals the absence of a dedicated, modern remote statute that clearly defines online casino and sportsbook licensing as standalone categories.
Tax materials, however, do not ignore digital play. Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) guidance lists online betting, casino live games, and machine activities within its presumptive financial schedule.
For operators, a remote launch requires:
- finding the right licence type;
- identifying the correct tax category;
- implementing compliance controls.
Licence Costs
Zambia uses fee units as the basis for statutory charges. In April 2024, Zambia raised its value to ZMW 0.40 ($0.02) via a statutory instrument. That single policy shift changes the real monetary cost of permit and licence payments that are expressed in fee units.
Casino licensing fees are split into annual charges, table-based and machine-based fees, as well as a revenue-linked component.
Here is what the Act requires:
- 1,000 fee units as an annual casino licence payment;
- 300 for tables or wheels (non-card games) (400 for the second up to tenth, and 500 for each above 10);
- 250 per card-game table per quarter-year;
- 200 per gaming machine per quarter-year;
- 20% of gross revenue per quarter-year
Bookmaking permit prices:
- 500,000 fee units for the first issue ($10,000);
- 250,000 fee units for a renewal ($5,000).
Beyond the Casino Act, operators may also face sector-specific licensing fees linked to tourism and hospitality regulation. The Act provides an example fee of ZMW 10,500 for the first registration in Lusaka under the Tourism and Hospitality Regulations.
In 2025, Zambia introduced a 10% excise duty on gaming and betting services, payable monthly by the 15th. This charge significantly affects margins. A sportsbook model should account for that duty alongside the permit cost, corporate overhead, and player bonus strategy.
Licensing Process
A casino licence requires an application to the Minister, who can issue the licence on terms and conditions considered necessary. The document must specify the authorised number of tables and gaming machines, and the licence period cannot exceed five years.
Because inspectors can audit revenue-related records and supervise counting, a casino setup needs strong controls before the first day of operation.
The Board considers the suitability of the person and the premises, and it can require security and other supporting material.
How that typically translates into operator tasks:
- Eligibility and suitability. Prepare fit-and-proper evidence for key individuals and the corporate structure.
- Premises readiness. Show that the location is suitable for the activity and can meet the conditions.
- Security and consumer protection. Plan for the security mechanism that protects betting debts.
- Reporting discipline. Build an accounting system that can produce audited statements when requested.
Zambia does not usually penalise operators for being ambitious. It does punish brands for being vague.
Pre-launch checklist:
- match product to the correct statutory anchor (betting vs casino);
- price the permit using the current fee unit value;
- model presumptive tax based on the exact category (betting vs casino);
- build AML controls that satisfy FIC expectations;
- confirm whether tourism and hospitality licensing fees apply to the venue.
A remote offer triggers higher presumptive tax rates: 25% for online betting or 35% for casino machine games. This affects retention and bonus strategy.
Opportunities and Issues
Zambia can work well for operators who want a defined path for land-based activity and a tax framework that already recognises digital categories. Remote play still sits in an awkward space, so entry planning should treat legal structure and reporting discipline as part of the product strategy.
Opportunities
For B2C brands, the upside is mostly about fee transparency, workable entry costs in betting, and a regulatory model that already fits retail operations. A careful setup can also benefit from the fact that tax guidance names online segments, which supports classification once the platform scales.
The main strengths that usually make Zambia worth considering:
- Fee-unit predictability. Statutory charges are set in fee units, and the published unit value makes budgeting easier.
- Accessible bookmaking entry. The first-issue bookmaking permit is 500,000 fee units, which converts to about $10,000.
- Clear casino cost logic. The Casino Act defines gross revenue and applies a 20% levy per quarter, so forecasting can follow a fixed formula.
- Digital categories acknowledged in tax guidance. ZRA lists online betting and casino segments in its presumptive schedule, which helps with reporting design.
- Regulatory momentum. A stakes-based excise duty update signals active oversight.
Challenges
The trade-off is that online activity lacks a dedicated modern statute, so teams often need counsel to map products onto existing authorisations and obligations. Ongoing costs can also stack across levies, presumptive rates, and operational controls, especially for casino-style offers.
Before you commit resources, weigh these common friction points:
- Remote-law gap. Public legal overviews still describe online gambling as unregulated, so documentation must bridge the gap between legacy acts and digital products.
- Heavy online machine rate. ZRA lists digital casino machine games at 35% of gross takings, and that figure can squeeze margins fast.
- Stakes-based excise pressure. A 10% duty on the total amount staked increases cost load for sportsbook models even when GGR is thin.
- More than one approval layer for venues. Casino operations can face both Casino Act fees and tourism/hospitality licensing charges, so budgeting must cover multiple touchpoints.
- Audit and AML workload. The betting framework allows requests for audited accounts, while FIC guidance expects risk-based controls and long retention periods, so compliance needs staffing.
The Main Things about Zambia
The South African jurisdiction gives operators a workable land-based framework and a betting model with clear permits. Remote play still needs cautious structuring because tax rules recognise online categories while public legal overviews describe digital gambling as not regulated.
Key aspects about Zambia’s gambling ecosystem:
- A bookmaking permit is 500,000 fee units for the first issue, which equals $10,000.
- The Casino Act caps a casino licence term at five years and applies a 20% levy on gross revenue per quarter-year.
- ZRA guidance lists presumptive tax rates, including 25% of gross takings for online betting and 35% for online casino machine games.
- AML expectations for casino, gaming, and gambling operators are detailed in FIC guidance, including reporting and record-keeping standards.
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