Zambia is a large country. It is almost as large as Austria, France, Hungary and Switzerland, combined! Its population is around 18 million or so and is known as the “air-conditioned state”.
The southern African nation has a regulated betting market that has each sector falling under a distinct legislation. Zambia has 2 old pieces of legislation for betting – the 1950 State Lotteries Act and 1992 Casino Act.
Zambia’s latest betting act was the 1994 amendment to the Betting Control Act. The country ranks high in terms of sports betting and football is the most popular sport for betting.
Since there are no restrictions on accessing betting sites in Zambia, locals frequently place bets online.
Zambia is one of the few countries in Africa that has a highly regulated betting market. The Betting Control and Licensing Board is the sole authority in charge of betting operations in the country, which operates under the Ministry of Finance.
The Board is also in charge of issuing and renewing licenses in Zambia. The cost for a new license is around 18,000 ZMW and is valid for 1 year. Renewals are chargeable at 9,000 ZMW on top of a 10% annual fee on the operator’s GGR.
There is a great freedom of choice for a bettor in Zambia so you can enjoy the experience to the fullest!
It is important to note that online winnings are not taxable in Zambia. Only land-based winnings are taxable at 20% for locals and 10% for non-residents.
The future of sports betting in Zambia
Zambia’s betting market is growing by leaps and bounds. Betting is very popular in the country and more companies are now operating in the country.
The early legislations for gambling and betting definitely gave impetus to the healthy development of the industry. Internet penetration is still extremely low in Zambia, unfortunately, at around 20% but with that number expected to go up in the near future, the online betting industry is destined to flourish.
Online sports betting will be the biggest beneficiary of more internet penetration because Zambians love sports, especially, football. Their craze for football can be unparalleled at times.
Expect Zambia to become a fully organised and matured marketplace in the future, as it sets itself to become an emerging market.
Important things to know about betting in Zambia
The legal gambling age in Zambia is 18 years old.
There is no specific law for online betting so people are free to use online platforms and bet. Another advantage is that online winnings are not taxed.
Land-based betting is quite popular in Zambia so if internet penetration increases then online betting will pick up in no time.
Betting licenses are always issued with a 1-year validity in the country.
Betting on politics is strictly prohibited in the Republic of Zambia.
Which sports are popular in Zambia for betting?
Diverse betting markets are the best thing to have as an online sports betting site/app. More options mean more chances that someone will place a bet as people will generally choose to bet on a sport in which they have at least basic knowledge in to increase their chances of winning to try and utilise their skill set.
If you are a Zambian bettor that likes football then you are definitely in luck. The football markets would almost always outnumber those of the other sports.
The selection of markets on offer is complemented by sports such as tennis, basketball, cricket, and even extreme sports.
Extreme sports betting is really popular in Zambia in comparison to the other African nations, but there are so many other options as well in case extreme sports are not your thing. If you do not like games that can end in draws the we recommend you to try tennis, combat sports like boxing or MMA and racing.
Here is a list of the popular sports in Zambia.
- Football
- Basketball
- Esports
- Tennis
- Rugby
- MMA
- Cricket
- Golf
- Water Polo
- Volleyball
- Boxing
- Badminton
Football is the most popular sport in Zambia so it is no surprise that it is the most popular when it comes to betting as well.
Online bookmakers have some great offers for Zambians so locals need to try and make the most of these bonuses and promotions when they wish to bet.
The English Premier League and French Ligue 1 are the 2 most popular competitions on which bets are placed by Zambians.
They also bet on the NBA in basketball and the NFL (American football).
There are so many ways to bet in just football that it is no surprise that most bets are placed on matches in football itself regardless of the tournament or match.
Zambians bet on everything from the FIFA World Cup to the European Champions to the CONMEBOL’s Copa America, of course, their very own AFCON, AFC Asian Cup and FIFA Confederations Cup when it comes to international tournaments.
The southern Africans also enjoy placing bets on the UEFA Champions League, Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga and many more.
Basketball is the second-most popular sport in Zambia. In Zambia, most online platforms will have multiple tournaments/league available for betting like the NBA, NBL, Spanish ACB, Euroleague, WNBA and FIBA World Cup.
Moneyline bets are the most common followed by handicaps and total points.
Esports is gaining popularity in Zambia, which has caused a paradigm shift in the sports betting world. League of Legends and Counter-Strike have taken over the market and are available for betting all year-round. Dota 2 is another very popular esport that receives a lot of bets.
Top Payment Methods for Betting in Zambia
MTN Zambia and Airtel Zambia are the most popular payment method in the country. They are convenient and easily accessible so are preferred by most of the residents/locals.
MTN is so easy to use for online betting in Zambia. You can transfer as little as 2 ZMW directly into your registered betting account to get started. There is an upper limit of 10,000 ZMW so there is no worry of wanting to put in a big amount either.
Debit and Credit Cards are also very commonly used by bettors in the country.
Other common payment methods available are PayPal, Skrill and direct bank transfer.
Withdrawing is as easy as depositing funds. Withdrawals can be done through e-wallets, bank transfers or even cards.
Kazang is another local banking option available to Zambians so local online bookmakers should have this option available as well.
Bonuses and Promotions
Most betting companies will offer welcome bonuses and promotions to attract customers. Do check the terms and conditions before opting for a bonus to make sure that you utilise it correctly and would be valid in your particular case.
SportyBet is one such online bookmaker that is very popular in Zambia. It is Africa’s #1 football betting platform and offers Zambians with some terrific bonuses and perks.
SportyBet has a promotion available in Zambia known as “SportyBet’s Match of the Day“, which allows its registered users to boost their odds when betting live.
They have “Best Odds” and “Live Odds Boost” – 2 fantastic features available.
In Best Odds, SportyBet firstly offers exclusive cash gifts to new customers for their first deposit. Second, for any Match of the Day, a user needs to simply add 1 selection from any pre-match market to their betting slip and then they can enjoy the best odds available for that particular game.
In the case of Live Odds Boost, a user needs to add a selection from either 1X2, O/U (Over/Under) or NG (Next Goal) markets to their betting slip. Then, all you need to do is click on “Live Odds Boost” in your betslip to boost your odds.
Is it safe to bet online in Zambia?
Yes, it is absolutely safe to bet online in Zambia as long as you use a registered, reputed and licensed bookmaker. The big names are always the safest options.