Mozambique’s detailed rules for online games of chance take effect on Nov. 20, creating operating, payment, data and player-protection requirements for companies seeking to serve the market. The date brings the regulation into legal force, rather than opening the market automatically: operators still need both a concession and an operating licence before they can begin business.
Decree No. 61/2026, dated Sept. 21, approved the Regulation on the Operation and Practice of Online Games of Chance. It stipulates that it comes into force 60 days after publication. The framework establishes a distinct concession regime for games of chance offered by electronic or computerised means, separate from the system for land-based casinos.
Concessions are available to public limited companies incorporated under Mozambican law. At least 26% of paid-up share capital must be held by Mozambican shareholders, with legal-person shareholders required to have a registered office in the country. That local participation must remain in place for the life of the concession unless prior authorisation is obtained to reduce it.
Applicants must have at least MZN100 million in share capital, about $1.6 million, unless the supervising authority sets a higher threshold. They must also demonstrate enough liquidity to cover prizes, operations and contingencies, as well as financial sustainability and compliance with tax and social-security obligations.
Operators must lodge two initial guarantees totalling MZN25 million. One MZN15 million guarantee covers legal obligations, including estimated player balances and potential fines, while a separate MZN10 million guarantee secures payment of the special online-gambling tax. The guarantees may be made through bank deposits or autonomous bank guarantees from institutions authorised in Mozambique, and the General Inspectorate of Games must review them after six months of operation or whenever necessary.
The regulation also imposes two contractual contributions, each set at a minimum of 2.5% of annual gross revenue after winnings paid to players. One supports social, institutional and public-responsibility purposes and the other tourism development unrelated to gambling; concession contracts may impose higher rates. These payments are described as contractual obligations rather than taxes or fiscal charges.
Licensed sites must use a .mz domain, while access originating in Mozambique must be redirected to the authorised national site. Entry, registration and authentication infrastructure must be located in the country, and gambling-related data must be stored there for at least 10 years. Operators must provide regulators with secure access, certify systems and submit to technical audits at least once a year.
Player funding is confined to electronic payment instruments authorised by the Bank of Mozambique and denominated solely in meticais. Foreign-issued instruments and those involving currency conversion cannot fund accounts, while transfers between players and operators must pass through accounts at authorised Mozambican institutions. A requested withdrawal must be transferred to the player’s designated payment account within 48 hours.
Player-protection measures require customers to choose daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits before gambling, with betting limits also mandatory at registration. Reductions apply immediately; other changes take effect after 24 hours. Operators may not use commercial practices that encourage customers to raise their limits. Gambling is prohibited for those under 18, automatic age verification is required before registration, and self-exclusion takes effect immediately for at least three months.
The rules apply to gambling directed at Mozambique regardless of an operator’s nationality or server location. Where the IGJ identifies an unauthorised service, it must order the operator to halt activity and remove the service within 48 hours; telecommunications companies, internet providers and other covered intermediaries normally have the same period after notification to implement a blocking decision.
Mozambique already licensed online sports betting and other products under its social and entertainment-games framework, but previously had no specific online-gambling regulations. The new regulation includes an application procedure, although it does not state when applications will open or set a confirmed timetable for commercial launches.
The framework arrives as casino tax receipts have fallen short of targets. Casino gaming-tax collection was MZN359.5 million in 2025, 7.3% below the MZN387.7 million collected in 2024 and well below the MZN666.1 million budgeted for 2025. The government attributed the weaker physical-casino revenue to online gambling reducing visits to land-based casinos. Special gaming-tax revenue in the first half of 2026 was MZN161 million, compared with MZN175.2 million in the same period a year earlier.
