Mozambique: Economy minister backs new rules for online gambling

According to the minister, the effects of betting platforms have been evident across various public and digital spaces. For the minister, the rules approved by the government on 14 July seek to address these challenges, balancing the development of a growing economic sector with consumer protection. «These rules, these regulations we are introducing, are precisely designed to prevent and remedy these situations,» he said.

The Mozambican minister also noted that one of the objectives of the ongoing reforms in the sector is to modernise the regulatory framework and establish mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of the new standards. «What we aim to achieve with this new regulatory structure is, in effect, modernisation, and the next step is also the effective implementation of these instruments that Mozambique’s government is introducing to facilitate this transition,» said Muhate. Danilo Mussá, president of the Mozambican Gambling and Betting Association, considered that the approval of the new regulations constitutes an important step towards keeping pace with developments in the national betting market and strengthening the organisation of the sector.

According to Mussá, the legal framework comes at a time when online activity is expanding and should create the conditions for more structured growth among operators. «The approval of these regulations is part of the dynamic development of online gambling and will help to consolidate the growth of this activity,» Mussá said. The Council of Ministers approved the specific legal framework for online games of chance, aimed at regulating activity on digital platforms and distinguishing it from land-based casinos – against a backdrop of falling tax revenues from the sector – with the new Regulation on the Operation and Practice of Games of Chance via electronic or computerised media, as explained, following the weekly meeting, Cabinet session spokesperson, Inocêncio Impissa. The legislation establishes the legal framework for the operation and practice of online games of chance, a form of gambling conducted remotely via electronic platforms, computer systems or other digital means of remote access.