Mozambique's New Online Gambling Rules Aim for Responsible Gaming

Mozambique’s minister of economy has called on operators to help promote responsible gambling, arguing that new regulations on online games of chance should foster a more positive environment by encouraging regulated betting.

«We urge the private sector to play its part in promoting responsible gambling. We have also observed that our society, particularly young people, has been feeling the effects,» said Basílio Muhate, as quoted in the media on Friday.

According to the minister, the effects of betting platforms have been evident across various public and digital spaces.

«This has been visible on social media, in the media, and in the information we receive. We observe behavioural patterns amongst our young people that sometimes stem from gambling,» he added.

For the minister, the rules approved by the government of Mozambique on 14 July seek to address these challenges, balancing the development of a growing economic sector with consumer protection.

«These rules, these regulations we are introducing, are precisely designed to prevent and remedy these situations,» he said.

The Mozambican minister also noted that one of the objectives of the ongoing reforms in the sector is to modernise the regulatory framework and establish mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of the new standards.

«What we aim to achieve with this new regulatory structure is, in effect, modernisation, and the next step is also the effective implementation of these instruments that Mozambique’s government is introducing to facilitate this transition,» said Muhate.

Danilo Mussá, president of the Mozambican Gambling and Betting Association, considered that the approval of the new regulations constitutes an important step towards keeping pace with developments in the national betting market and strengthening the organisation of the sector.

According to Mussá, the legal framework comes at a time when online activity is expanding and should create the conditions for more structured growth among operators.

«The approval of these regulations is part of the dynamic development of online gambling and will help to consolidate the growth of this activity,» Mussá said.

The Council of Ministers approved the specific legal framework for online games of chance, aimed at regulating activity on digital platforms and distinguishing it from land-based casinos – against a backdrop of falling tax revenues from the sector – with the new Regulation on the Operation and Practice of Games of Chance via electronic or computerised media, as explained, following the weekly meeting, Cabinet session spokesperson, Inocêncio Impissa.

The legislation establishes the legal framework for the operation and practice of online games of chance, a form of gambling conducted remotely via electronic platforms, computer systems or other digital means of remote access.

The regulation also sets out the licensing framework applicable to the operation of this activity, recognising online gambling as a separate, independent form of gambling subject to its own specific requirements, distinct from the licences granted to land-based casinos.

The decision comes at a time when the government has linked the expansion of online gambling to a reduction in tax revenue from casinos.

Data on the 2025 budget implementation from the Ministry of Finance, previously reported by Lusa, indicate that the State collected 359.5 million meticais (€4.8 million) in taxes paid by casinos, a figure corresponding to 54 per cent of the 666.1 million meticais (€8.8 million) forecast for that year.