Mozambique Approves Dedicated Legal Framework for Online Gambling Sector
2026-07-16
Source: Global Gaming Insider
Mozambique's Council of Ministers has approved a new regulation that establishes online gambling as a distinct vertical with its own licensing, separate from land-based casinos, responding to declining casino tax revenue linked to rising digital play.
Mozambique has introduced a new regulatory regime for digital gambling, marking its latest step in adapting to shifting market dynamics across Africa's gaming landscape. The country's Council of Ministers approved the Regulation on the Exploitation and Practice of Games of Chance or Gambling through Electronic or Computer Media, which provides a separate legal foundation for online gambling distinct from the existing land-based casino framework.
Under the newly passed decree, online gambling will now be treated as its own independent vertical, subject to separate licensing requirements and concession terms rather than falling under the same rules that govern physical casinos. The move is intended to bring regulatory clarity to operators in Mozambique's growing digital gaming market.
The government's decision follows a noticeable decline in tax contributions from traditional casino operations, which the Ministry of Finance has partly attributed to the rise of online alternatives. According to the Ministry's 2025 budget execution report, casino tax revenue totalled €4.8m ($5.5m) for the year, representing only 54% of the €8.8m originally forecast. This figure also marks a 7.3% drop from the €5.1m collected in 2024.
Mozambique currently operates casino and slot machine concessions in cities including Maputo, Matola, Beira, Tete, Nampula and Pemba. Existing concessionaires must meet minimum capital and investment thresholds, while gaming taxes range from 20% to 35% of gross gaming revenue, depending on the duration of the concession.
The new framework aims to create a tailored licensing structure that addresses the specific characteristics of digital gambling while supporting the country's broader regulatory objectives. This development comes amid wider regulatory activity across Africa, including discussions at the iGaming Africa Summit on balanced taxation and channelisation, a proposed casino relocation tax in South Africa's Western Cape, and the International Gaming Standards Association's opening of a regional office in Lagos, Nigeria.