Namibia

Namibia regulates betting and gaming under the Gaming and Entertainment Control Act, 2018 (Act No. 13 of 2018), which replaced the 1994 law and came into operation in December 2021. Section 5 of the Act sets up the Gambling Board, which issues licences, oversees compliance, keeps the licence registers and runs a central monitoring system. The Board works under the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.

Is Online Betting Legal in Namibia?

Only where the Act allows it. Section 73 says a person may not engage in or make available an online game except as authorised under the Act. Bookmakers are licensed under section 36, which lets a licence holder accept, receive or negotiate bets on prescribed events. In October 2026 the Gambling Board held an industry workshop in Windhoek on bookmaker and totalizator licensing, covering application investigations and technical assessments of betting platforms.

Who Can Bet in Namibia?

You must be 18. Under section 74, a minor, defined as anyone under 18, may not take part in any gambling activity other than an amusement game.

What Changes Are Planned?

• Licence fees: draft amendments to the regulations put out for consultation in March 2026 would raise the bookmaker licence fee from N$10,000 to N$50,000, a rise industry members have opposed.
• Monitoring: consultations in October 2026 proposed a 5% monitoring fee on operators' net monthly income, a 1% maintenance fee on gross income to fund the Central Electronic Monitoring System, and limits on underage online gambling.
• State lottery: the government plans to set up a State Lottery to fund the Social Development Trust Fund.

The Gambling Board took in revenue of N$49.5 million in 2025 and has issued 134 licences since it was set up.