Gambling tax revenue in Tanzania reaches TZS 307.8 billion

James Mbalwe, Director General of the Gaming Board of Tanzania, announced that the country's gaming sector generated TZS 307.8 billion ($116.2 million) in tax revenue in the 2025/26 fiscal year, which ended in June 2026. Mbalwe said the increase came with the spread of smartphones, the growth of digital payments and players' shift toward online products.

According to Mbalwe, sports betting and casino games can now be accessed without going to a physical venue. Digital payment methods have also made it easier to deposit bets and withdraw winnings. Mbalwe noted that the country's young population, which is accustomed to digital entertainment, has also played a role in the sector's growth.

The distribution of revenue has also changed. Before 2016, physical casinos held the largest share, followed by slot machine operators. Today, online gaming tops the revenue ranking. Mbalwe said legal and economic reforms have opened the sector to private investment, and that gaming operators other than the national lottery are open to domestic and foreign investors.

At the same time, this growth brings some problems. Mbalwe listed illegal slot machine activity, unregulated online platforms and the inadequacy of systems protecting players as the main challenges. The report also notes that the regulator has prepared stricter security measures.