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Betting in Tanzania

Published on: 08/08/2016

The United Republic of Tanzania is located in East Africa. The nation is bordered by Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and the Indian Ocean. The majority of its inhabitants occupy rural areas. English and Swahili are the official languages, and the Shilling is the local currency.

In 1964, Tanzania became a Republic, this occurred when Tanganyika was joined with the coastal region of Zanzibar. Until 1985, Tanganyika President Julius Kambarage Nyerere led the new Republic. In 1995, the first free elections took place and later, in 2005, the nation voted in their fourth president, Jakaya Kikwete.

Tanzania has been very forward thinking with regard to its gambling practices. The country was one of the first in Africa to initiate gambling regulations and licenses, by creating the Gaming Control Act. Further laws were passed in the 1990s, paving the way for the nation’s gambling industry to progress.

Currently, more than 10 casinos are located throughout Tanzania. There are some major facilities available in the capital city of Dar es Salaam, such as Le Grande Casino, The New Africa Hotel & Casino, Kilimanjaro Casino and the Sea Cliff Casino & Sea Cliff Hotel. The venues all offer games machines and gambling tables. Other popular gambling establishments include the Kings Casino in Mwanza and the Safari Casino in Arusha.

Lotteries are perhaps the most popular form of gambling in Tanzania. Selcom Gaming and Openlot Systems provide the Tanzania National Lottery, which was the first African lottery to be offered via mobile phone. Another product they provide is known as “The Big Sweep”, with substantial cash prizes to be won.

In 2006, the short-lived Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation Grand Lottery was formed. Its objective was to finance the construction of a Presidential library. The lottery draws offered an array of prizes, from farm machinery, cars and bicycles, to sewing machines and televisions.

A few legal gambling shops can be found throughout Tanzania, offering betting products related to foreign sportsbooks, which are tailored to suit the Tanzanians. Poker is also gaining a significant following and tournaments are increasing in numbers every year. Even before the millennium, the Tanzanian government had legalized internet gambling through the Gaming Control Act. This progressive move led to a number of betting websites being created for the local Tanzanians to enjoy. Tanzanian law does not prohibit the locals from frequenting off-shore betting web sites. As a result over 450 foreign online sportsbooks happily accept play from punters with Tanzanian addresses including:

Gambling in Tanzania is a relatively new phenomenon. Overall, the local people have not yet embraced gambling on a large scale, even though they have many betting opportunities at their disposal. It may take some time for gambling to become an “industry” within the nation, but if and when it does, Tanzania could well become Africa’s leading nation for gambling.