Mozambique has just given operators a much clearer reason to take its market seriously. On 17 July 2026, the Council of Ministers approved a dedicated regulation for online games of chance, separating digital gambling oversight from the rules that have long governed land-based casinos. For anyone holding a platform, game content and the know-how to run a sportsbook or casino brand, the practical question now is who to partner with to get onto the pitch legally.
What Actually Changed
Until now, Mozambique’s gambling law centred almost entirely on physical casinos and slot halls in cities such as Maputo, Matola, Beira, Tete, Nampula and Pemba. Online sports betting had its own authorisation route, but online casino games sat in a grey area, legal to play but without a dedicated licensing process. The new decree changes that by creating a distinct framework for electronic games of chance, according to the country’s National Directorate of Games of Chance or Fortune.
The timing is not a coincidence. Government budget figures showed casino tax revenue reaching €4.8m in 2025, only 54% of the €8.8m originally forecast and a 7.3% decline on the €5.1m collected in 2024. Officials have linked that shortfall to bettors shifting away from physical casino floors towards online play, which strengthens the case for bringing digital gambling under the same kind of formal oversight.
Who Actually Regulates Gambling in Mozambique
The Inspecção-Geral de Jogos, or General Gaming Inspection, is the primary regulator, operating under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It handles licensing, premises inspection and ongoing compliance across casinos, sports betting and other regulated games, working alongside the Ministry of Tourism on casino concession tenders.
The legal backbone is Law No. 1/2010, supported by Decree No. 64/2010 and later amended by Decree No. 4/2017 and Decree No. 65/2022. Casino concessions require substantial minimum share capital and investment commitments, and gaming tax on gross gambling revenue ranges from 20% to 35% depending on the length of licence secured. Casino operators also pay a stamp duty equal to half the price of each entry ticket, though certain other profit-based taxes do not apply to them.
Casino Licences Versus Sports Betting Authorisations
Sports betting, including online betting, has been the one digital vertical the IGJ has licensed with confidence for several years. Online casino games, by contrast, have been waiting for exactly the kind of framework that has just been approved. That distinction matters when you are deciding which type of Mozambican partner actually fits your platform and game catalogue.
Operators Already Holding a Mozambique iGaming Licence
A handful of operators already demonstrate what compliant looks like in this market. Betway Mozambique runs under Authorisation 371/IGJ/2019, issued in November 2019, through its locally registered entity and a dedicated .mz domain, one of relatively few international brands to hold a valid Mozambican licence. PrideBet operates under the licence held by its local entity, registered with the IGJ under licence number 038/IGJ/JDS/2025. JogaBets is described as a locally licensed Mozambican bookmaker operating under its own registered entity.
The IGJ’s public register also lists a broader field of licensed brands, reflecting a market that already has more depth than many newcomers assume. That is useful context if your search is for a partner rather than a route to a brand-new application, since an existing licence holder with local market knowledge can shortcut much of the groundwork a fresh application would require.
What This Means for New Entrants
For a venture arriving with a platform, game content and operational know-how already built, the more realistic path into Mozambique is rarely applying cold for a fresh licence. It is approaching an entity that already holds a valid IGJ authorisation and structuring a technology, content or platform partnership around it. That keeps the legal and banking relationship with the regulator resting on a track record the IGJ has already approved.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign Anything
- Does the licence number quoted actually match an entity on the IGJ’s current register, not just a marketing claim on a website
- Which vertical does the licence cover: sports betting only, or does it extend to the games of chance now covered by the new online decree
- What gaming tax rate applies to the specific licence length involved, given the 20% to 35% range tied to concession duration
- How are player funds, KYC and anti-money laundering obligations handled under the partner’s existing compliance set-up
- What local entity, domain and payment rail requirements, such as mobile money integration, does the partnership need to satisfy
Mozambique Fits a Wider African Regulatory Pattern
Mozambique is not moving in isolation. Botswana recently confirmed permanent leadership at its Gambling Authority, Angola is working through a transitional regime under its Gaming Activity Law, and Kenya’s newer regulator has been rolling out its own licensing overhaul. Across the region, regulators are tightening rules that previously left too much room for interpretation, and Mozambique’s new online decree is very much part of that trend.
For an operator with the technology and experience already in place, that regional momentum is a reason to move now rather than wait. A market entering a clearer regulatory phase tends to reward those who arrive with a compliant local partner already lined up, rather than those still working out who to call once the rules have fully settled.
If you are exploring opportunities in Mozambique’s iGaming market, or you hold a licence and are open to discussing a platform, content or technology partnership, the Business of iGaming team would like to hear from you. Reach out through our Contact page and tell us where things currently stand.
