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Sovereign state
Africa
ISO ET

Ethiopia: gambling regulation and licensing

  • Online sports bettingProhibited
  • Online casinoProhibited
  • iLotteryMonopoly
  • Land-based (reference)Regulated
Regulator
Ethiopian Lottery Service
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
23 Sept 2026

Summary

Ethiopia has no licensed private betting market at present. The law treats every game of chance as a lottery. Proclamation 535/2007 and Council of Ministers Regulation 160/2009 reserve lotto, toto, instant, number, multiple-prize and modern bingo lotteries to the state lottery, now the Ethiopian Lottery Service (ELS), and let any person run sport betting, raffles, promotional lotteries and conventional bingo under a permit. Proclamation 1263/2021 gives the power to issue, suspend and revoke lottery permits to the Ministry of Revenues, and the ELS exercises it. Sports betting was licensed under Directive 856/2014 of August 2021: a Birr 500,000 licence fee, Birr 100,000 annual renewal, a Birr 1.5 million bank guarantee, a 15% commission on gross sales paid monthly, a 0.5% social contribution, 15% withholding on winnings of Birr 1,000 or more and a minimum age of 21. That market closed in December 2025. On 4 December the ELS suspended 22 operators after the national intelligence service reported the concealment of more than Birr 100 billion owed to the government, and on 15 December it revoked every sports betting licence, ordering operators to stop taking bets and banks and payment providers to stop processing their sales. In July 2026 the ELS said no sports betting operator holds a licence, and in August the government reported action against 38 betting businesses. Casino games have no permit category, and any lottery activity without a permit carries a fine of Birr 50,000 to 100,000 and three to five years' imprisonment. The only lawful online gambling is the ELS's own lottery, sold through ethiolottery.et, telebirr and USSD. A relaunch under a new framework is reported to be in preparation, but no instrument has been published.

Common pitfalls

Treating Directive 856/2014 as a live licensing route: every licence under it was revoked on 15 December 2025 and none has been issued since. Using the old name: the National Lottery Administration now operates as the Ethiopian Lottery Service. Reading the licensing power as the lottery's own: Proclamation 1263/2021 gives it to the Ministry of Revenues, which the ELS exercises in practice. Calling the 15% a gaming tax: it is a commission on gross sales before prizes, on top of the 15% withheld from winners. Assuming offshore sites are tolerated: the ELS treats any betting offered in Ethiopia as unlicensed and the government has frozen betting firms' bank accounts.

Key facts

Regulator
Ethiopian Lottery Service (ELS)
Regulator type
Lottery monopoly
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
18+
Tax base
Sports betting licensees paid the regulator a commission of 15% of gross sales income, defined as sales before prizes, by the fifteenth of each following month, plus a 0.5% social contribution on gross income (Directive 856/2014 articles 2(12), 11, 13). The Proclamation sets the 15% commission on forecast sales for tombola and sport betting, on prize value for promotional lotteries and on periodic revenue for bingo (article 19). Winnings of Birr 1,000 or more carry 15% income tax under Income Tax Proclamation 979/2016 article 57, withheld by the licensee. No separate gaming tax on gross gaming revenue exists in the sources read. With every sports betting licence revoked on 15 December 2025, no operator currently pays the sports betting commission.

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Closed
Local establishment required
Yes
Local server required
Not yet verified
Bank guarantee or bond
Unconditional bank guarantee of Birr 1,500,000 for sports betting licensees, covering commission, the social contribution, income tax and prizes (Directive 856/2014 articles 4(2) and 9(6))
Certification requirements
Betting rules, result sources and prize structure submitted with the application; system access code provided to the regulator's inspectors on request (Directive 856/2014 articles 4, 9(9), 14(2))
Barriers to entry
There is no route into sports betting today: the ELS revoked every licence on 15 December 2025 and has issued none since. When the directive was live, an entrant needed Birr 500,000 up front, a Birr 1.5 million bank guarantee, premises away from bars, schools and places of worship, and paid 15% of gross sales to the regulator before prizes. Every other lottery product except raffles, promotional lotteries and conventional bingo is the state lottery's monopoly, and casino games have no route at all.

Licence types

  • Sports betting lottery licence (none in force since 15 December 2025)

    Scope
    Betting on indoor or outdoor sports competitions, in shops or by electronic payment, under a permit. Every licence was revoked on 15 December 2025 and the ELS stated on 22 July 2026 that no operator holds one.
    Term
    One year, renewed annually between 1 Hidar and 30 Tahsas; revoked if not renewed by 30 Tir (Directive 856/2014 articles 2(6), 6(2), 7(1))
    Application fee
    ETB 500,000 as of 2 Aug 2021
    Annual fee
    ETB 100,000 as of 2 Aug 2021
    Fee basis
    Birr 500,000 on issue, Birr 100,000 on each renewal, plus 15% of gross sales as commission and a 0.5% social contribution
    Renewal terms
    Renewal requires proof of commission and social contribution payments, a renewed bank guarantee, a renewed trade licence and tax clearance (article 7(2)); three months of unpaid commission leads to revocation and a 100% surcharge (article 17(3)).
  • Tombola or raffle, promotional lottery and conventional bingo permit

    Scope
    Open to any person under Proclamation 535/2007 article 12(3) on application with the prescribed evidence.
    Term
    Per activity; activities lasting over a year are renewed each fiscal year
    Fee basis
    Fees set by Ministry directive; 15% commission on forecast ticket sales (tombola), on prize value including income tax (promotional) or on periodic revenue (bingo)
    Renewal terms
    Renewed at the start of each fiscal year (article 15)

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
2 Aug 2021
Turnover tax
15%
Player winnings tax
15% on sports betting winnings of Birr 1,000 or more (Income Tax Proclamation 979/2016 article 57, as applied by Directive 856/2014 article 12)
Withholding mechanism
Withheld by the licensee and remitted through the administration to the tax authority
Tax base
Sports betting licensees paid the regulator a commission of 15% of gross sales income, defined as sales before prizes, by the fifteenth of each following month, plus a 0.5% social contribution on gross income (Directive 856/2014 articles 2(12), 11, 13). The Proclamation sets the 15% commission on forecast sales for tombola and sport betting, on prize value for promotional lotteries and on periodic revenue for bingo (article 19). Winnings of Birr 1,000 or more carry 15% income tax under Income Tax Proclamation 979/2016 article 57, withheld by the licensee. No separate gaming tax on gross gaming revenue exists in the sources read. With every sports betting licence revoked on 15 December 2025, no operator currently pays the sports betting commission.

Earmarked levies

  • Social responsibility contribution: 0.5% of gross sports betting income (0.25% to sports clubs, institutions or social causes under an agreement with the operator, and 0.25% paid monthly to the administration to support institutions working in sport and related fields)

Compliance

Minimum age
18+
National self-exclusion
Not yet verified
KYC requirements
Sports betting players had to be 21 or over (Directive 856/2014 articles 10 and 16(1)) and students in school uniform could not bet (article 16(6)); the ELS marks its own lotteries as prohibited to under-18s
Stake limits
Maximum win of Birr 1,000,000 for one bettor on one game; winning tickets valid for 30 days; prizes paid within 15 days of the result (Directive 856/2014 article 9)
Reporting obligations
Monthly commission and withholding-tax payment by the fifteenth of the following month; books and documents produced whenever the administration asks; branch openings and closures notified immediately (Directive 856/2014 articles 9, 11)
Game content restrictions
No other games of chance at a sports betting venue (Directive 856/2014 article 9(14)); lotto, toto, instant, number, multiple-prize and modern bingo lotteries reserved to the state lottery

Minimum age by vertical

  • Online sports betting: 21+
  • iLottery: 18+

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Not yet verified

Restrictions

  • Sports betting shops may not operate in bars, groceries, restaurants or similar premises, or within 500 metres of schools and religious institutions (Directive 856/2014 article 16(3) and (4)).
  • No sports betting operator is licensed, and on 22 July 2026 the ELS warned the public against betting through unlicensed services, websites, social media pages or other payment channels, asking for any website, agent or individual offering betting to be reported to its 9695 hotline.

Payments

Credit card ban
Not yet verified
Crypto stance
Not yet verified
Local rails
telebirr
Payment blocking regime
Since 15 December 2025 the ELS has instructed banks, payment instrument issuers and payment system operators not to let betting organisations carry out sales through them, and ordered operators to close all deposit gateways. In August 2026 the government reported freezing the bank accounts of 38 betting enterprises.

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Not yet verified
DNS blocking
Not yet verified
Payment blocking
Yes
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Administrative penalties
Permit suspension or revocation; late commission surcharges of 20% a month up to 100% (Proclamation article 19) or 20%, then 50%, then revocation with 100% (Directive 856/2014 article 17); Birr 10,000 for failing to sign the operating contract on time (article 18(2))
Criminal penalties
Birr 50,000 to 100,000 and three to five years' imprisonment for lottery activity without a valid permit; Birr 10,000 to 20,000 and one to two years for letting premises for illegal lottery activity or obstructing inspectors (Proclamation 535/2007 article 20)
Operator liability
Criminal under Proclamation 535/2007 article 20 and administrative under article 14; the regulator may order unauthorised activity to stop and, with a court warrant, enter premises (article 16)

Notable actions

  • 22 sports betting operators, including Dash Bet, Walia Sport, Exnet Solution (2X Bet), Addis Telco Service (Betika Sport Betting) and Vamos Entertainment4 Dec 2025

    Licences suspended pending a criminal investigation, under Proclamation 535/2007 article 14(2)(c), on information from the National Intelligence and Security Service after owners were detained over the alleged concealment of more than Birr 100 billion owed to the government

  • All licensed sports betting organisations15 Dec 2025

    Every sports betting licence revoked; operators ordered to stop all betting and preserve server, financial and user records; banks and payment providers told to stop processing their sales

  • 38 betting enterprises6 Aug 2026

    Owners detained and bank accounts frozen for concealing customer data to evade tax, hide revenue and move funds illicitly, as part of a wider government anti-corruption campaign

Market data

Online GGR
Not yet verified

Timeline

  1. 23 Jul 2007

    Proclamation 535/2007 re-establishes the National Lottery Administration and sets the permit, commission and penalty framework.

  2. 4 Feb 2009

    Council of Ministers Regulation 160/2009 re-establishes the administration following a business-process review.

  3. Jan 2020

    The National Lottery Administration temporarily stops issuing new sports betting licences, reporting 43 licences issued of which 30 were operating.

  4. 2 Aug 2021

    Minister of Revenues signs Sports Betting Lottery Licensing Directive 856/2014.

  5. 25 Jan 2022

    Proclamation 1263/2021 vests lottery permit powers in the Ministry of Revenues and lists the Ethiopian Lottery Service as a public enterprise.

  6. 26 Dec 2022

    Directive 856/2014 registered and published by the Ministry of Justice.

  7. 9 Jul 2025

    Ministry of Justice explainer on the lottery framework notes sports betting is temporarily prohibited in Addis Ababa.

  8. 4 Dec 2025

    ELS suspends the licences of 22 sports betting operators on information from the National Intelligence and Security Service.

  9. 15 Dec 2025

    ELS revokes every sports betting licence and orders banks and payment providers to stop processing betting operators' sales.

  10. 6 Mar 2026

    At a parliamentary committee hearing on the draft sports proclamation, the ELS chief executive objects to a clause on sports betting and describes a reform under way with foreign advisers.

  11. 21 Apr 2026

    House of Peoples' Representatives passes the Federal Sports Development and Administration Proclamation 1413/2026.

  12. 22 Jul 2026

    ELS states that no sports betting organisation holds a legal licence and warns the public against betting through unlicensed websites and social media pages.

  13. 6 Aug 2026

    Government Communication Service reports action against 38 betting enterprises, with owners detained and bank accounts frozen.

  14. 20 Sept 2026

    Capital reports the ELS is preparing a relaunch of sports betting and digital lotteries under stricter rules.

Outlook

The question for the next year is whether and on what terms sports betting reopens. In March 2026 the ELS chief executive told a parliamentary committee that the government had hired foreign advisers and was working with Ethiopian Investment Holdings on a new supervisory system, and Capital reported in September 2026 that the ELS is preparing to relaunch sports betting and digital lotteries under robust regulatory frameworks and modern digital technology. No draft directive or licensing round has been published. The Federal Sports Development and Administration Proclamation 1413/2026, passed on 21 April 2026, drew ELS objections at committee stage over a draft clause giving the Ministry of Culture and Sports a role in sports betting; the enacted text was not available to check. Enforcement against former licensees continued in August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is sports betting legal in Ethiopia?
Not at present. The Ethiopian Lottery Service revoked every sports betting licence on 15 December 2025 and stated on 22 July 2026 that no sports betting organisation holds a legal licence. Any lottery activity, which includes sport betting, without a valid permit is punishable by Birr 50,000 to 100,000 and three to five years' imprisonment under Proclamation 535/2007. The statute still provides for sport betting permits, and a relaunch is reported to be in preparation.
Who regulates gambling in Ethiopia?
The Ethiopian Lottery Service, formerly the National Lottery Administration, runs the state lotteries and issues and revokes permits. Proclamation 1263/2021 vests the lottery permit power in the Ministry of Revenues, whose Minister signed the sports betting licensing directive.
What did an Ethiopian sports betting licence require?
Under Directive 856/2014: a Birr 500,000 licence fee and Birr 100,000 on each annual renewal, a Birr 1.5 million unconditional bank guarantee, a 15% commission on gross sales paid monthly, a 0.5% social contribution, a minimum player age of 21 and no shops in bars or within 500 metres of schools and religious institutions. No licence under it is in force.
How are betting winnings taxed in Ethiopia?
Winnings of Birr 1,000 or more are taxed at 15% under article 57 of Income Tax Proclamation 979/2016, withheld by the licensee at payout under Directive 856/2014.
Can an online casino be licensed in Ethiopia?
No. There is no permit category for casino games, and any chance activity without a permit is a criminal offence under Proclamation 535/2007.
What online gambling is lawful in Ethiopia?
Only the Ethiopian Lottery Service's own lotteries and instant games, sold through ethiolottery.et, telebirr and USSD *8989#. The ELS marks them as prohibited to under-18s.

Sources

  1. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 23 Jul 2007
  2. National Lottery Administration Re-establishment Council of Ministers Regulation No. 160/2009, Federal Negarit Gazeta 15th Year No. 21, 4 February 2009

    Federal Negarit Gazeta, via the Ministry of Justice law portal

    The portal copy is a scanned image without a text layer. Its operative content is recorded here as the Ministry of Justice summarises it (source et-moj-lottery-framework-2025).

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 4 Feb 2009
  3. Sports Betting Lottery Licensing Directive No. 856/2014 (Ministry of Revenues, signed Addis Ababa 26 Hamle 2013 EC, 2 August 2021; registered by the Ministry of Justice 17 Tahsas 2015 EC, 26 December 2022)

    Ministry of Revenues, via the Ministry of Justice directive register

    The preamble says the directive amends Sports Betting Lottery Licensing Directive No. 83/2005, while article 19 repeals a directive numbered 85/2005. The ELS press statement of 4 December 2025 (source et-els-suspension-2025) cites the licensing directive as No. 172/2013; that appears to be the Ministry's own number for this directive, signed in Hamle 2013 EC, but no document confirming the match was found.

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 2 Aug 2021
  4. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 25 Jan 2022
  5. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  6. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 4 Dec 2025
  7. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 4 Dec 2025
  8. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 15 Dec 2025
  9. Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 15 Dec 2025
  10. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 22 Jul 2026
  11. Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 18 Dec 2025
  12. Ethio Lottery, the Ethiopian Lottery Service online lottery platform (Amharic)

    Ethiopian Lottery Service, with Tamcon Software Solutions

    Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
  13. Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 6 Aug 2026
  14. Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published Jan 2020
  15. Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 20 Sept 2026

Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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