Casino Gambling in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a small nation in eastern Africa. Despite the small size, the country does offer a few gambling options for those looking to place a wager. However, much of the industry is not regulated. For the parts of the industry that are regulated, the primary organization in charge is the National Lottery Administration (NLA). This organization takes care of licensing are regulation for the Ethiopian gambling industry. Casino gambling is legal in Ethiopia and licenses are required for these operators. There is only one licensed casino operating in Ethiopia today. It’s called the Ghion Hotel & Casino and it is located in the national capital, Addis Ababa. Online casino gambling in Ethiopia exists in a grey area as it is not specifically regulated under any Ethiopian laws. That means, while there are no licensed online casinos in Ethiopia, players can still access and gamble at offshore betting sites.
Types of Gambling in Ethiopia
Most other forms of gambling are legal in Ethiopia and regulated by the National Lottery Administration. Hence the name, lottery is one of the biggest gambling activities under the control of the NLA. It has been this way since the 1960s.
Currently, the NLA offers a Tombolla lottery (a type of raffle) and a game called Bingo Lottery. Neither are available online – all tickets must be purchased through licensed lottery retailers in the country. There are currently about 60 lottery agents in Ethiopia where tickets can be bought.
Sports betting is also legal in Ethiopia and controlled by the National Lottery Administration. However, there are no actual licensed sports betting operators in Ethiopia at this time. Those looking to place sports bets should use reputable online betting sites that accept gamblers from Ethiopia.
Poker is also legal in Ethiopia but again, there are no licensed poker halls in the country. That said, the NLA does claim jurisdiction over this game. If you want to play poker in Ethiopia, we suggest looking for an online poker site accepting Ethiopian players.
Best Ethiopian Online Casinos
Since there are no licensed online casinos operating in Ethiopia, your best bet is to play at an offshore online casino that accepts players from Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian government has never expressed any desire to crack down on this activity. It is not explicitly illegal, but it is also not explicitly legal either. In this grey area, Ethiopian gamblers are able to access international online casino sites.
Wondering what is the best online casino for Ethiopian players? We recommend choosing from our list of the best Ethiopian online casinos. Our team has narrowed down the options for you by personally testing each site.
We only recommend safe and secure online casinos with good reputations. Our experts have checked every aspect of these casinos including the gambling license, casino support, game availability and developers, payment options, withdrawal times, and fairness.