Online casinos and betting in Zambia

The law: a premises-based Act in an online world

Bookmakers in Zambia are licensed by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) under the Betting Control Act. The catch is that the Act is premises-based: it was written for betting shops with a physical address. As a result:

• Licensed bookmakers exist and operate legally, many of them with websites and apps.
• Online betting and online casinos aren’t formally licensed, because the Act doesn’t create an online licence.
• In our data, online casinos are marked unregulated. Sports betting is marked licensed because the bookmakers themselves hold BCLB licences, but the online side of their business sits in the same legal gap.

The government has proposed a single gaming and lotteries regulator to replace the current set-up, which could bring proper online licensing. Until that happens, the rules for online play remain unclear. We’re not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice.

The 10% excise duty on stakes

From 2025, a 10% excise duty applies to betting stakes in Zambia. Locally licensed bookmakers collect it, and depending on how a bookmaker applies it, the duty can come off your stake before the bet is placed, which lowers your potential return. Check your bet slip so you know exactly how much of your stake is in play.

Local bookmakers and international sites

Zambia has two licensed local brands in our data, Bolabet and Betway Zambia. They hold BCLB licences, support local mobile money and focus on football. Betway Zambia is a separate company from the Betway site we review for South Africa.

The international brands ranked above all accept Zambians:

• 1Win, our top pick, combines a large casino, crash games and a full sportsbook. Its welcome package is a percentage match over several deposits; the terms offered to Zambia may differ from the South African version on the rest of this site, so check the cashier.
• The 1xBet family: 1xBet, 22Bet, Melbet, Betwinner, Megapari and PariPesa. 1xBet has a local presence in Zambia, and all six offer very wide football coverage.
• Crypto sites BC.Game, Cloudbet and Rollbit, which pay out fastest in crypto.

None of these international brands is licensed by the BCLB. They operate under licences from Curaçao or Anjouan, so the BCLB can’t help you if something goes wrong.

SA brands don’t accept Zambians

Hollywoodbets, Betway South Africa, Supabets, Sunbet and the other South African bookmakers don’t take players from Zambia. Their licences come from South African provincial gambling boards and cover betting from within South Africa. In our data, no SA-only brand appears for any country except South Africa.

Deposits and withdrawals in kwacha

Mobile money is how most Zambians fund betting accounts. The three wallets in our data are:

• MTN MoMo
• Airtel Money
• Zamtel Money

Local bookmakers usually support them. At international sites, check the cashier with your country set to Zambia, and confirm your wallet is listed for withdrawals as well as deposits. Our MTN MoMo page covers MoMo in South Africa; the Zambian service is separate, but the page’s tips on wallet limits still apply.

The alternatives are Visa cards and crypto, chiefly Tether (USDT). Crypto is fastest at sites like BC.Game and Cloudbet, but you’ll need an exchange to convert it back to kwacha.

Currency conversion

Local bookmakers run accounts in kwacha. International sites usually use US dollars, euros or crypto, so you may pay a conversion margin each way and see your balance move with the exchange rate. Choose your account currency carefully when you register.

What to check at offshore sites

• The licence. It should be named in the site footer with a number.
• Verification. Have your NRC or passport ready. Withdrawals wait until you’re verified.
• Bonus terms. A percentage match always comes with wagering, maximum bet and game rules. Our guide to wagering requirements shows how to work out what a bonus really costs.
• Payout limits. Check minimum and maximum withdrawals before your first deposit.

Our guide to offshore and locally licensed sites explains the trade-offs in detail.

Football and the leagues Zambians bet on

Football is Zambia’s betting sport. The Zambia Super League is the local top flight, and it’s worth comparing local and international bookmakers on it, because market depth varies. Internationally, the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and La Liga draw the most bets.

Accumulators are popular, and they’re also where bookmaker margins stack up fastest. Our accumulator guide explains why short multis lose less on average than long ones, and our guide to how betting odds work shows how to read the prices.

See also the guides for Malawi, Zimbabwe and Angola.

Local bookmaker or offshore site?

In Zambia the trade-off is fairly simple:

• A BCLB-licensed local bookmaker, such as Bolabet or Betway Zambia, gives you kwacha accounts, mobile money as standard and a regulator at home. The 10% excise duty applies to your stakes.
• An international site gives you bigger casino and crash game lobbies and percentage-match welcome packages, but no local supervision and usually a currency conversion.

Many punters keep a local account for football and use an international site only for casino games. If you do that, set a separate budget for each, and never move money between them to chase a loss.

Responsible gambling in Zambia

Our research couldn’t confirm a national gambling helpline in Zambia. The NRGP number in the box below is South Africa’s line. The practical tools are at your bookmaker:

• Deposit and stake limits, set before you start
• Time-outs and self-exclusion, from a day to permanently
• Spending only what’s left after essentials: rent, food, school fees

If betting is causing debt or stress, talk to someone you trust or a health worker. Our responsible gambling tools guide explains how limits and self-exclusion work. Betting is entertainment with a cost, never a way to earn money.