Zambia has long been known for its tourism and mining industries. However, the gaming business in the country has seen enormous growth in recent years. On the other hand, the Zambian government is not lagging. With its comprehensive Zambian gambling law, it is tightening its grip on the booming gambling business.
Gambling is now legal in Zambia, and the regulation is based on three main legislative acts. Almost all forms of gaming are also now legal in Zambia, and they are regulated by the government. In Zambia, however, there is currently a lack of regulation for online gaming. As a result, we shall delve deeper into the legislative basis for Zambian gambling law in this article.
As we've mentioned earlier, the Zambian Gambling Law offers clarity for sports betting, lottery games, and casino gambling. However, participation in these gambling activities is only limited to persons above the legal age of 18. There are three separate laws in the current gambling legislation. These laws include:
This is the most crucial gambling law in Zambia. It was passed in1992 and repealed the previous Casino and Gaming Machines (Prohibition) Act. The Zambia Casino Act allowed only licensed companies to conduct their gambling operations. It streamlined the country's licensing requirements and even enabled the issuing of 30-day temporary casino licenses to enterprises.
According to this law, hotel establishments only are eligible to apply for the license, which must be renewed after five years. The act explains how many machines and gaming tables are authorized in the gaming premises in each license category. Also, to provide proper management and oversight of the establishment, operators must provide adequate surveillance and cleanliness using cameras.
The lotteries act was established in the 1950s, although several amendments have been made over the past years. The lotteries act enables 'state-run lotteries,' whose proceeds are distributed to various funds and state initiatives. The law also permits the implementation of lotteries, both public and private, as part of certain sorts of entertainment.
The Betting Control Act is a federal law that regulates sports betting. It was passed in 1958, but it has been changed several times since then. The most recent amendment was in 1994. This law establishes the guidelines for sports betting in the country. Members of the Betting Control and Licensing Board are in charge of awarding licenses to bookmakers and betting establishments across the country. The general public can bet on sporting events and horse races, according to the rules in force. Further, this gambling license must be renewed every year by paying the required taxes and fees.
The Zambian gambling law doesn't mention online gambling in the country. Most of the rules that have been put in place are solely focused on the land-based operations in the country. While today an increasing number of people have access to the internet for entertainment purposes, Zambia still lags compared to other African countries. Zambia still has excellent potential, especially now that it has 40% penetration.
One thing's for sure, as much as online gambling is still new in the country, it's quickly gaining popularity. Also, as much as web-based gambling operations aren't quite regulated in Zambia, the law doesn't explicitly forbid operations. Today we have multiple online gambling sites like the Zambian lotto that are catering to Zambian customers.
Currently, foreign and local operators can legally offer their online gambling services and casino products in the country without a license. Things are even better for online gamblers as the law doesn't prohibit gambling with real money on both local and domestic websites. More and more people in Zambia are prioritizing playing the lottery from their mobile devices and laptops.