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Zambia

Africa · ZM · Reviewed 24 Jun 2026
Sports bettingRegulated
Horse racingTolerated
Prediction markets—

Zambia regulates betting and gaming, and online sports betting is legally licensed through the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), with the minimum betting age set at 18. Major operators such as Betway and Premierbet hold BCLB licences. In June 2025 Cabinet approved a bill to repeal the fragmented legacy laws and create a single, modernised gaming and lotteries regulator, but as of mid-2026 the BCLB remains the operative authority.

Betting in Zambia is governed primarily by the Betting Control Act (Cap 166) and the Betting and Totalizator Control Act No. 13 of 1994, alongside the Lotteries, Pools and Casino Acts. The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) is the national regulator that licenses casinos, lotteries, sports betting and online gambling; it is placed under the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, though oversight has historically been split across several ministries.

Online sports betting is licensed: operators (local or international) must hold a BCLB bookmaker/online licence, and unlicensed operation carries penalties. The legal betting age is 18. Recognising regulatory gaps from online-gambling growth, Cabinet on 23 June 2025 approved in principle a bill to repeal the legacy statutes and establish a unified National Gaming and Lottery Board; the revised 2026 budget further sharpened compliance and tax-enforcement oversight, but as of mid-2026 the consolidated law/regulator was not confirmed as enacted, leaving the BCLB as the current authority.

Horse-race betting exists only as a market on licensed international sportsbooks with no domestic tote industry (tolerated). Prediction markets have no Zambian framework (left null).

No operator on this site has been confirmed on the Zambia regulator's register for online sports betting.

Responsible gambling

Support in Zambia

Betting is legal and regulated in Zambia. There is no government gambling helpline or national self-exclusion register; self-exclusion and deposit limits are available at the operator level, so set these in your betting account or ask the bookmaker. For dedicated local help, GamAid Zambia, a Lusaka-based gambling-addiction support organisation, offers counselling, support groups and self-assessment — reachable on +260 767 923 704 / +260 973 881 876 (WhatsApp +260 772 207 640). For free, anonymous online support, you can also use Gambling Therapy (gamblingtherapy.org).