Is online gambling legal in Mozambique?
Two laws split the market. Casino games of chance (jogos de fortuna ou azar) are a state activity exploited through long-term concessions awarded to Mozambican companies under Lei 1/2010, taxed at 20% to 35% of gross gaming revenue depending on the concession term. Social and amusement games under Lei 9/2012 and Decreto 33/2018, including sports betting, mutual betting, lotteries, bingo and virtual games, are licensed per modality by the Inspecção-Geral de Jogos (IGJ), and that regime already provides for online platforms on .mz domains. On 14 July 2026 the Council of Ministers approved a regulation creating an autonomous concession regime for online games of chance, citing falling casino tax receipts as play moved online; its fees, tax rate and application process await publication in the Boletim da República.
| Vertical | Status in Mozambique |
|---|---|
| Online casino | Restricted |
| Sports betting | Regulated |
| Online poker | Restricted |
| Lottery | Regulated |
| Social casino (free to play) | Unclear |
Regulated: Private operators can hold a local licence for online casino and/or betting.
Who regulates gambling in Mozambique?
- Inspecção-Geral de Jogos (IGJ) — Licenses social and betting games, inspects casinos and online platforms, supervises AML compliance in the gaming sector; supervised by the Ministry of Finance since the 2025 government reorganization
- Ministério da Economia (Direcção Nacional de Jogos de Fortuna ou Azar) (MEc) — Gaming policy and the award of casino and, under the 2026 regulation, online games-of-chance concessions
Mozambique gambling licence: how it works
There are two routes. For sports betting, mutual betting, lotteries, bingo and virtual games, a Mozambican company applies to the IGJ for a licence per game modality under Lei 9/2012 and Decreto 33/2018, submitting the specific rules of the game, evidence of technical capacity and a bank guarantee of 3,000,000 MZN per modality; online platforms must run on a .mz domain over HTTPS with minor-access restrictions, responsible-gaming links, published terms and a platform certificate translated into Portuguese, and must keep data backups in Mozambique with unrestricted IGJ access. Casino games of chance are awarded only by concession after a public tender, to a Mozambican joint-stock company meeting minimum capital and investment thresholds (the IGJ quotes minimum share capital equivalent to USD 2,755,580 and investment of at least USD 5,511,160 within five years). Online casino concessions will follow the 2026 regulation once it is published.
What an applicant needs
- Mozambican company; for social games, share capital of at least 10% of the proposed investment with Mozambican participation
- Specific regulation of each game modality covering player access, rules and prizes, approved by the IGJ
- Bank guarantee of 3,000,000 MZN per licensed modality
- Online platform on a .mz domain with HTTPS, minor restrictions, responsible-gaming link, privacy policy, terms and licence details
- Data backups held in Mozambique and unrestricted system access for the IGJ; platform certificate translated into Portuguese
- Casino concessions: joint-stock company, minimum capital and five-year investment program, tender award and concession contract
Gambling taxes in Mozambique
- Operators: Casino concessionaires pay the Imposto Especial sobre o Jogo on gross gaming revenue at 20% (concession up to 14 years), 25% (15 to 19 years), 30% (20 to 24 years) or 35% (25 to 30 years), paid fortnightly, and are exempt from corporate income tax on gaming profits and from import duties on gaming equipment. Social and online betting games pay percentage charges on gross revenue under Lei 9/2012 (the IGJ schedule shows allocations of about 6% and 4% for online games); press reports in 2026 described a combined 20% of GGR charge from June 2025 that could not be traced to a gazetted instrument, so confirm the current rate with the IGJ.
- Players: No general tax on casino winnings is published. Press reports in 2026 described a 10% personal income tax and 5% stamp duty on online betting prizes; these could not be verified in the Boletim da República.
- Also: Casinos also pay stamp duty equal to 50% of the admission ticket price, and at least 20% of the special gaming tax is earmarked for tourism promotion. The 2026 online regulation is expected to set its own tax rate. Casino special gaming tax receipts were about 359.5 million MZN in 2025 against a 666 million MZN target, according to Lusa.
Advertising, player protection, KYC and payments
Advertising
No dedicated gambling advertising code was identified; general advertising and consumer law applies, licensed online platforms must display a responsible-gaming link and licence details, and the Minister of Economy asked operators in July 2026 to promote responsible gaming as the online regulation is rolled out.
Responsible gaming
Minimum age 18 with minor-access restrictions on online platforms; the IGJ publishes a responsible-gaming policy (Política de Jogo Responsável) and requires responsible-gaming links, published terms and player information on every licensed site.
Identity and age verification
Gaming operators are obliged entities under the AML law (Lei 14/2013 as updated by Lei 14/2023); the IGJ is the sector supervisor and suspicious transactions are reported to GIFiM, the financial intelligence office. Identity verification with national ID or passport and record-keeping are required.
Payments
M-Pesa (Vodacom), e-Mola (Movitel) and mKesh mobile wallets carry most online deposits and payouts, with bank transfer and cards alongside. Licensed platforms must operate on .mz domains over HTTPS with backups in Mozambique. Crypto is not a recognized payment instrument.
Notable restrictions
- Casino games of chance only under a state concession awarded by tender; online casino only once the 2026 regulation is gazetted
- Online betting platforms must use a .mz domain, HTTPS and in-country data backups
- Bank guarantee of 3,000,000 MZN per licensed game modality
- No play by minors; responsible-gaming link and licence information mandatory on every platform
- Platform certificates must be translated into Portuguese and approved by the IGJ
Mozambique iGaming market: size, players and payments
No reliable public estimate for online betting. Casino special gaming tax receipts reached about 359.5 million MZN in 2025, roughly 54% of the 666 million MZN target, a shortfall the government attributed to play migrating online (Lusa, July 2026).
Betting is mobile-money led: M-Pesa and e-Mola wallets are the default deposit and payout rails and USSD menus matter outside the main cities.
Casino concessions operate in Maputo and a few provincial cities; a growing set of licensed online betting brands run on .mz domains under IGJ modality licences. The regulator does not publish a licensee register, so market share data is unavailable.
Timeline: how Mozambique got here
- 2010-02Lei 1/2010 sets the concession regime and special gaming tax for casino games of chance
- 2012-02Lei 9/2012 creates the licensing regime for social and amusement games, including betting and lotteries
- 2018-05Decreto 33/2018 regulates social games and sets the rules for online platforms on .mz domains
- 2025-01Government reorganization places the IGJ under the Ministry of Finance and gaming policy under the Ministry of Economy
- 2026-07Council of Ministers approves the regulation on games of chance through electronic means, creating a separate online concession regime
Outlook
The online games-of-chance regulation approved on 14 July 2026 is the pending item: until it appears in the Boletim da República, its concession fees, tax rate, capital thresholds and application window do not exist in published form and no online casino concession can be granted. Operators should also expect the government to clarify the charges on social and online betting games after conflicting 2026 press reports, and to press responsible-gaming and AML obligations as online play grows. Land-based casino tax receipts are under pressure, which is the political driver for the new regime.
Launching in Mozambique with GameBridge
Turnkey (your licence, our platform). IGJ licences and casino concessions are granted to Mozambican companies, so the operator holds the licence and runs on GameBridge technology; GameBridge holds no Mozambican licence, and online casino content is switched on only after an online concession under the 2026 regulation is in hand.
A Mozambican brand on GameBridge runs in Portuguese with an MZN wallet and geo-controls that admit residents through the operator's licensed entity. M-Pesa and e-Mola rails connect on request through the operator's local payment partners, the sportsbook and virtuals are enabled under the operator's IGJ modality licences, and casino games stay disabled until an online games-of-chance concession exists. Deployment is planned around the .mz domain, HTTPS and in-country backup requirements the IGJ sets, responsible-gaming links and age gates are built into the player journey, and every game version carries a certification package that can be translated into Portuguese for IGJ approval.
- Portuguese site language and MZN wallet
- M-Pesa and e-Mola rails on request through the operator's local partners
- Verticals enabled per IGJ modality licence, with casino held back until an online concession exists
- Age and identity gates with AML screening and GIFiM reporting workflows
- Responsible-gaming links, limits and self-exclusion on every page
- Certification package for every GameBridge Studios and Originals version, translatable into Portuguese
Football and virtual sports lead Mozambican betting; the sportsbook covers the Moçambola, European football and virtuals, while GameBridge Studios and Originals content waits for the online games-of-chance regime.
Frequently asked questions
Is online gambling legal in Mozambique?
How do I get a Mozambique betting licence?
What is the gambling tax in Mozambique?
Which payment methods do Mozambican players use?
Can a foreign company get a Mozambique gambling licence?
How does GameBridge support a Mozambican betting brand?
Sources and review
Reviewed against the sources below on 11 September 2026. Regulation changes; confirm the current position with local counsel before launch.
- Como obter uma licença: jogos sociais e de diversão — Inspecção-Geral de Jogos, accessed 2026-09-11
- Como obter uma licença: jogos de fortuna ou azar (casinos) — Inspecção-Geral de Jogos, accessed 2026-09-11
- Conselho de Ministros aprova regime jurídico dos jogos online — Diário Económico, accessed 2026-09-11
- Governo aprova regras para jogos de fortuna ou azar online — Carta de Moçambique, accessed 2026-09-11
- Government seeks to strengthen responsible gaming with new online betting regulations — 360 Mozambique, accessed 2026-09-11
- How to get a gambling license in Mozambique (2026) — GamblingMaps, accessed 2026-09-11
Regulatory summaries are provided for orientation only and are not legal advice. Licensing requirements change; we validate them with you during scoping.