Mozambique approves a new online gambling regime and moves toward implementation

Mozambique has taken a formal step toward regulating online gambling by approving a new framework for electronic and computer-based games of chance in mid-July. For PSPs, acquirers, and operators, the key detail is that online casino-style gaming is being carved out into its own concession regime, separate from the rules that apply to land-based casinos.

1. On mid-July, the Council of Ministers approved the Regulation on the operation and practice of games of chance or luck by electronic or computerized means. The new rule creates a dedicated concession regime for gambling offered through electronic platforms, computer systems, and other digital channels.
2. Mozambique previously licensed online sports betting and other products under the existing framework for social and entertainment games, which covers lotteries, raffles, mutual betting, and virtual games. The new regulation creates a separate legal category for online gambling that includes casino-type games and will operate under its own concession, distinct from the one used for physical casinos.
3. The move comes as tax revenue from land-based casinos has been falling. According to budget execution data from the Ministry of Finance, reported by the Portuguese agency Lusa, casino tax brought in 359.5 million meticales in 2025, against a budget of 666.1 million meticales, or 54% of the official target. In 2024, the government collected 387.7 million meticales versus a budgeted 1,235 million meticales, reaching only 34% of the target.
4. The 2025 figure also represents a 7.3% decline from 2024. The government attributed the weaker performance to the growth of online gambling, which, according to a report by Portuguese broadcaster RTP citing the ministry’s data, reduced footfall at physical casinos.
5. After the regulation was approved, Economy Minister Basílio Muhate stressed enforcement. At a meeting with the Mozambique Online Gaming and Betting Association on 31 July, he said the government would continue its fight against illegal gambling and called for greater supervision and transparency by the General Inspectorate of Games (IGJ). He also asked operators to cooperate on the social effects of irresponsible gambling, especially among young people.

For high-risk payments, the useful signal here is not just “Mozambique is regulating.” It is that the state is separating online casino activity from the land-based casino regime, while simultaneously linking the new framework to enforcement against illegal gambling. That combination usually means licensing, monitoring, and payment controls will matter as much as market access.