Exploring Mozambique's New iGaming Standards Under Decree No. 61/2026

Key Requirements, Licensing, and Local Infrastructure Mandates

On November 20, new online casino regulations take effect in Mozambique, setting a precedent for the iGaming industry under Decree No. 61/2026. The regulatory act establishes a minimum share capital of 100 million meticais (~$1.56 million) for operators, initial financial guarantees of 25 million meticais ($391,216), server localization requirements, and a strict mechanism for blocking unlicensed websites.

Concessions can be granted to companies registered in Mozambique. If legal entities are among the founders, at least 26% of the share capital must be held by local residents. Operating a land-based casino is not mandatory: an online license can be obtained by both land-based venue operators (for a term of up to 3 years) and purely digital brands (for a term of up to 2 years).

To launch operations, companies are required to provide two bank guarantees: 15 million meticais to secure player balances and cover potential fines, and 10 million meticais to pay the special online gambling tax. In addition, operators will pay two quarterly contributions of 2.5% of Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) — dedicated to social programs and tourism development.

All licensed websites are required to use the .mz domain zone. Traffic from Mozambique and users with Mozambican accounts must be automatically redirected to the authorized national website. Registration, authentication, and database servers must be physically located within the country, and data must be stored for at least 10 years.

Payments are permitted exclusively through instruments authorized by the Bank of Mozambique and only in the national currency (MZN). Any foreign accounts or currency conversions are prohibited. Operators are required to process player withdrawal requests within 48 hours. At the registration stage, mandatory daily, weekly, and monthly deposit and betting limits have been introduced.

Regulatory Enforcement and Strategic Market Impact

The regulator, General Inspectorate of Games (IGJ), has been granted the authority to order unauthorized operators to cease operations within 48 hours. If the notice is ignored, the country’s telecom providers and ISPs are required to block access to the website within 48 hours.

This strict regulatory shift introduces several critical implications for industry traffic and compliance:

Blocking offshore traffic: 48-hour blocking at the local ISP level will significantly complicate running traffic to unlicensed Curacao and Anjouan offers via direct links in GEO MZ.

Shift to local payment gateways: The ban on currency conversion and international tools will make support for local mobile wallets and cards in meticais (MZN) mandatory.

Lower Reg-to-Dep conversion: Mandatory deposit and betting limits during registration will add friction to the funnel and decrease the initial deposit conversion rate.

Growing demand for PWAs and mobile apps: Due to the risk of rapid web domain blocking, media buyers will have to shift traffic to PWAs and Android in-app setups.

Market consolidation and payout adjustments: The high financial barrier to entry (capital of $1.56M plus $391K in guarantees) will leave only major operators in the market, which will stabilize CPA payouts but raise advertiser requirements for player quality.