Online bingo in Tanzania is legal and regulated under the Gaming Act Cap. 41 R.E. 2019. The Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT), established in 2003, is the primary regulatory authority responsible for licensing and overseeing all gaming activities including online bingo (1). Both land-based and online operators must obtain licenses from the Gaming Board to legally operate within the country, making Tanzania one of the few African nations with a progressive and regulated online gambling framework (1).
The GBT regulates gaming activities including bingo, slot machines, and casino games played through electronic devices or machines for money or property (2). Online gambling regulations were specifically introduced in 2012, requiring all operators offering online bingo and other games to obtain proper licensing and pay mandatory taxes on revenues (2). The minimum legal gambling age in Tanzania is 18 years, and operators must verify player age to comply with regulations, with heavy penalties imposed for non-compliance (1).
"The Gaming Board regulates gaming activities that are played with cards, dice, equipment, or any mechanical electromechanical or electronic device or machine for money, property, checks, credit or credit card, or any representative of value, including but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, bingo."
Tanzania has strengthened its regulatory enforcement in recent years, with the GBT planning to issue over 14,000 licenses in the fiscal year 2025/26, including 845 new licenses and 13,279 renewals (2). The government imposes gaming tax on casino wins at 12 percent and on sports betting at 10 percent of winnings, with collected revenue directed toward community development (1). The GBT actively combats illegal gambling operators through compliance inspections and seizures, with unlicensed gaming operations subject to fines not exceeding Tanzania Shillings Five Hundred Thousand or imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months (2).
Source:
https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-to-gambling-laws-in-africa/tanzania
https://kgpartners.co.tz/the-gaming-legal-regime-in-tanzania/
Last updated: 01-11-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
