Tanzania is an East African country with already established gambling traditions. The state recognized the revenue potential of gambling and its possible economic impact for the country, and it sought to regulate it. The first step in this direction was made already in 1992 as “the Investment Promotion and Protection Act” was introduced, which officially pronounced gambling in Tanzania legal. The next important step towards regulating, overseeing and protecting the market came in 1997 with the Tanzania Investment Act.
Eventually, in 2003, the so called “Gaming Act” was enacted. It sets the conditions for acquiring online betting licenses, the fees for operating online betting establishments as well as the penalties for non-compliance with any of its terms. Importantly, the Gaming Act established the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT) which is responsible for monitoring and overseeing all “gaming activities”. It is the official authority that issues the corresponding licenses for all types of games of luck regardless of whether they take place on the ground or on the Internet. The online gaming activities deemed legal by the Tanzanian authorities are as follows:
- Sports betting
- Poker
- Casino
- Bingo
- Lottery
Furthermore, the Tanzanian Authorities tend to tolerate some non-Tanzanian online gambling platforms as far as they are internationally regulated and abide to the local minimum age requirements (in Tanzania, legal age is considered 18).
What are the best payment methods for online Betting in Tanzania?
Led by the simple rule that customers should be given the most convenient ways of processing deposits and withdrawals, sport betting sites and online casino operators strive to allow locals players to transfer money into their gaming accounts via easily accessible and secure means of payment. Furthermore, the majority of Tanzanians tend to bet directly on their mobile phones, therefore it is no wonder that gambling platforms accept a wide range of mobile payment systems. These are some of the most prominent examples of locally popular payment systems:
- Airtel
- Halotel
- Vodacom
- Tigo
- Zantel (Zanzibar Telecommunications Corporation)
- TTC (Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation)
Furthermore most betting sites in Tanzania accepts payments via e-wallets such as:
- Skrill
- Neteller
- Webmoney
- Ecopayz
- Paypal
- iWallet
- Sofort
Unsurprisingly, if you live in the East African country and want to place some money on your favourite sports team or on a virtual slots machine, you would be able to use your credit card (Mastercard/Visa) or a bank transfer to do that.
Please note, that although quite a few i-gaming operators process payments in the local currency TSh (Tanzanian Shilling), there are also quite many who do not (which means there will fall some conversion fees).
Where should I bet on sports and casino online in Tanzania?
As already mentioned, the gambling policy of the country are pretty lenient. Consequently, if you are of legal age and you live in Tanzania, there are quite many offerings to pick from. Therefore it might be not easy to decide where to best bet your money on sports and casino online. Below we have listed the most important factors that you should considering, before making your very first bet online in Tanzania.
Licensing, Regulation, Trustworthiness
As betting is directly related to movement of funds, you should make sure the website you entrust with your money is trustworthy. Fundamental signs for that are the possession of an active gambling license from the Gaming Board of Tanzania (or at least some other reliable non-Tanzanian gaming authority), and of course – the history, reputation, and the feedback of other players.
Deposit and withdrawal methods
The selection of payment methods a given i-gaming website offers is another very important characteristic. So make sure that the sportsbook, you consider betting your money at, lets you deposit and withdraw funds easily, quickly, safely and possibly free of fees. The greater the diversity of locally accessible payment systems, the better. For Tanzania best options seem to be mobile payments such as Zantel, TTC, Airtel, Vodacom, etc.
Sports selection, betting markets, casino content
Another point that you need to consider while choosing an online gambling platform in Tanzania is the scope of its betting content. For example a sportsbook with tons of sports types and betting markets definitely gives you more options to bet and win. Similarly, online casino with greater number of games and jackpots give greater freedom of play.
Welcome offer and ongoing promotions
Different online spots bettting and casino operators follow different bonus policies. So when you are deciding where to sing up for a new account, it is worth researching what bonuses are available and how high they are. You can do that by reading some reviews (like the ones we offer on these pages) or directly checking the bonus section of the website you consider playing on.
Conclusion
Tanzania is a country where online betting has been legalized and regulated for an already long time (the first Tanzanian online casino emerged in 2013). The authority which is responsible for issuing licenses and overseeing the activities of online gaming platforms is known as the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT). Additionally, the country tolerates foreign betting operators, that are regulated internationally. The majority of Tanzanian players access online betting via their mobile phones, and prefer the corresponding mobile payments systems in order to conduct deposits and withdrawals.