Regulated
Gambling was legalised in Mozambique in 1994, under the Gambling Law. Online gambling has been legal since 2010, with the implementation of a new gambling framework. Under the applicable framework, only companies licensed in Mozambique may accept players from the country; it’s illegal to place bets on unlicensed websites.

The elements of a game that constitute gambling depend on the category of the game, as follows:

1. Games of chance are defined as «games exploited and practised in casinos or in specially authorised and equipped machine rooms, whose results are contingent, due to depending exclusively or mainly on the player’s luck» (Law. no. 1/2010, 10 February). The regime for the exploitation of games of chance is very restricted and, as a rule, granted via public tender.
2. On the other hand, operators can apply for a licence to explore social and amusement games, which does not exclusively have to be for non-profit. To be eligible for a social and amusement games licence, the operator must be either a:
   • Limited liability company with a registered office in Mozambique
   • Non-profit social organisations, with the social object of supporting welfare, social action, culture and sport
   • Entity pursuing public interest purposes
   • Natural or legal person who prove to be suitable and have the technical, economic and financial capacity to conduct the activity

Social and amusement games are games which offer the possibility of gaining goods, money or rights with economic value, based on probability, randomness and/or luck, whether associated or not with certain skill or mastery skills. The social and amusement games can be grouped as follows:

• Social games: bingo, lotteries, totobola (sports betting), totoloto, lotto, raffles, mutual bets, contests and virtual games (if any of the referred)
• Fun games: billiards, table football, prizes and amusement machines

Market Size
Note that the Mozambican General Gaming Inspectorate (Inspecção Geral de Jogos) does not divulge the gross revenues generated by the sector. However, the growth in online gambling is visible through the increase of diverse operators and platforms available.

Mozambique GDP growth is projected to rise to 4.8% in 2023 and 8.3% in 2024, pushed by extractives and agriculture, leading GDP per capita growth to jump from 2.0% in 2023 and 5.5% in 2024. Along with a young, growing population and abundant natural gas reserves, the third largest in Africa, Mozambique has bags of potential, provided it can continue to attract foreign investment, which still plays a crucial role in the development of the Mozambican economy.

Competitive Landscape
There are currently 17 licensed Sports Betting operators in Mozambique. The Inspecção Geral de Jogo does not provide information on licensed entities for other online gambling modalities.

Localisation
All payments must be processed based on the legal currency in Mozambique (Meticais), however, it can be replaced by conventional symbols that represent its value.

The most common method of payment is through mobile money transfer systems, such as M-PESA and e-Mola, while credit cards are also significantly used with Visa as the dominant credit card and owns a market share of over 90%.

All advertising of gambling, its equipment, materials or utensils requires prior authorisation from the Mozambican General Gaming Inspectorate.

Top Key Attractions and Challenges
Attractions

• Open market with a simplified licensing process
• Fast growing market, with a population of around 30M with 52% smart mobile phone penetration
• Mozambique is one of the fastest growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa

Challenges

• There is a high minimum investment required for Casino operators, together with a very limited/restricted licensing regime for casinos
• Operators must implement a local company and infrastructure
• A minimum of 26% of the social capital must be local