Tanzania's gaming tax take reaches TZS307.8bn as regulator plans stronger player safeguards

Tanzania's gaming sector generated TZS307.8 billion ($116.2 million) in tax revenue in the financial year that ended in June 2026, according to James Mbalwe, director general of the Gaming Board of Tanzania. He described the figures in an interview with iGB, linking them to the spread of mobile access and digital payments across the country's gambling market.

Mbalwe said tax revenue has risen steadily as the sector has grown. He credited widespread smartphone use, which lets people bet on sports and play casino games online without visiting a venue, and said mobile payments have made staking and withdrawing winnings far more convenient. He also pointed to the country's young population and its familiarity with digital entertainment. According to him, online games now generate the largest share of revenue, whereas before 2016 most income came from land-based casinos, followed by slot machine operations.

He noted that, apart from the national lottery, which is government-owned but privately run, gaming businesses are privately owned and open to domestic and foreign investors. A proposed 5% excise duty on betting stakes was shelved, he said, so the tax position is unchanged.

On enforcement, the board seized more than 3,000 illegal slot machines in the last financial year, which Mbalwe said were mostly manufactured and operated by Chinese nationals. Reported incidents have dropped significantly, he said, although illegal operators have moved into remote areas that are harder to police. He suggested local government authorities, with their nationwide presence, could help detect and report illegal machines faster.

Player protection is another focus. The current self-exclusion process involves collecting the details and photos of excluded players and distributing them manually to operators, which Mbalwe described as inadequate. The regulator intends to set up an electronic central database for real-time monitoring, to be procured through a public-private partnership. He also said the Gaming Act Cap 41 has limited coverage of responsible gambling and player protection, beyond barring minors from gaming.

Mbalwe acknowledged that unlicensed online platforms remain a challenge because they operate across borders. Licensed operators may use only platforms certified by licensed international testing agencies, and the board works with the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, the Police Cybersecurity Bureau and mobile companies to block unregulated sites and identify gaming-payment providers.