Mozambique’s gambling regulator spent part of 2026 dealing with a revenue problem before it dealt with a licensing one: only 54% of the taxes projected from casino gambling were actually collected in 2025 — just $4.8 million against an expected $8.8 million, according to Ministry of Finance figures cited in an industry report. That shortfall is the stated trigger behind a dedicated new online gambling framework the Council of Ministers approved in mid-2026. Sports betting itself already runs on an older, separate authorisation track overseen by the Inspecção-Geral de Jogos (IGJ), Mozambique’s General Gaming Inspectorate. This guide compares the bookmakers actually licensed under that sports-betting track for Mozambican bettors in 2026 — real licence reference numbers included, not just marketing claims of being “licensed.”
Mozambique’s Two-Track Betting Market in 2026
The IGJ, which operates under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, issues two distinct types of authorisation that bettors often confuse. Retail and online sports betting is licensed under Mozambique’s existing gambling law framework, and that is the licence type every bookmaker in this guide operates under. The new framework approved this year targets something different: online casino-style games of chance, split out from the land-based casino concession system specifically because of the tax shortfall described above.
For a bettor choosing where to sign up, the detail that actually matters is simpler than the regulatory split itself: does the operator hold an active IGJ reference number, and does that number hold up when checked against other sources.
How We Picked These Mozambique Bookmakers
- An IGJ licence reference that appears on the operator’s own Mozambican site or terms, not just a claim on a third-party review page
- Active local market presence — a .co.mz domain, pricing in Mozambique’s Metical (shown on-site as “MT”), and support for local mobile money
- Deposit support via M-Pesa (Vodacom) and e-Mola (Movitel), the two wallets that dominate the Mozambican betting market
- An established local track record rather than a storefront that only started appearing in listings this year
See our full directory of licensed African bookmakers for operators covered across other markets on the continent.
Top Betting Sites in Mozambique 2026
Betway Mozambique
Betway runs its Mozambican sportsbook through the entity Jogos Sociais e Entretenimento, SA (JSE), under IGJ Authorisation 371/IGJ/2019, issued 14 November 2019 — one of the longer-standing authorisations in this list. Betway also maintains a dedicated profile in our bookmaker directory, covering the brand’s wider African footprint beyond Mozambique alone. One discrepancy worth flagging directly: at least one source attributes this same 371/IGJ/2019 reference to PremierBet rather than Betway. We list it against Betway because it matches the number published through Betway’s own Mozambican operation, but the overlap itself remains unresolved across sources.
PremierBet Mozambique
PremierBet’s Mozambican operation is registered under the entity Two 11, Lda. Most review sources describe PremierBet as a fully licensed IGJ operator, but — as noted above — the specific licence reference cited for PremierBet in some listings duplicates Betway’s 371/IGJ/2019 rather than showing a distinct number of its own. Treat PremierBet’s licensing as confirmed in principle, since it appears as an active entry across industry trackers, but with its exact reference number unverified until the IGJ’s own record is checked directly.
betPawa Mozambique
betPawa entered Mozambique as its 17th African market, launching in Maputo with bets and payouts processed by the locally licensed entity Hotspot Mozambique, Lda, under IGJ Licence No. 125/IGJ/JDS/2023. betPawa’s parent platform, pawaTech, supplies the underlying sportsbook software but holds no gaming licence or customer funds itself — the licence sits with the local partner entity, the same structure the brand uses in its other African markets.
ElephantBet Moçambique
ElephantBet describes itself as the first sports betting operator to launch in Mozambique, starting commercial activity in 2018 under the brand name MOZABET before rebranding. Its operating entity, General Betting, Limitada (NUEL 100866900), is the biggest source of licence confusion in this guide: separate sources cite three different IGJ reference numbers for the same operator — 104/IGJ/JDS/2018, 093/IGJ/JDS/2022 and 038/IGJ/JSD/2021. That spread most plausibly reflects a licence renewed or reissued over time rather than three different operators sharing one brand, but nothing checked this session resolves which number is actually current.
Olabet Mozambique
Olabet is owned and operated by Mozambique Beneficial Games, Lda (MBG), under IGJ Licence No. 3/IGJ/JSD/2020 — one of the lowest reference numbers in this list, consistent with Olabet’s standing as one of the earlier dedicated online sportsbooks to launch locally. The IGJ’s own published entity listing shows “MGB — Moçamb. Beneficial Games” against the “Ola Bet” trading brand, matching the operator’s own licensing claim.
888Bets Mozambique
888Bets is run locally by 888 Bets Mozambique Limited, part of the internationally listed 888 Holdings group, under IGJ Licence No. 026/IGJ/JDS/2023. The brand launched commercially in Mozambique in 2022, a year ahead of that specific licence reference being issued — worth knowing if you come across an older listing citing a different authorisation period for the same brand.
| Bookmaker | IGJ Licence Reference | Licensed Entity | M-Pesa / e-Mola | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betway Mozambique | 371/IGJ/2019 | Jogos Sociais e Entretenimento, SA | Yes | Reference also cited for PremierBet in some sources |
| PremierBet Mozambique | Disputed — see note | Two 11, Lda | Yes | Licensed in principle; exact reference unconfirmed |
| betPawa Mozambique | 125/IGJ/JDS/2023 | Hotspot Mozambique, Lda | Yes | 17th African market for the betPawa brand |
| ElephantBet Moçambique | Disputed — 3 numbers found | General Betting, Limitada | Yes | Oldest local brand, started 2018 as MOZABET |
| Olabet Mozambique | 3/IGJ/JSD/2020 | Mozambique Beneficial Games, Lda | Yes | Low reference number suggests early licensing |
| 888Bets Mozambique | 026/IGJ/JDS/2023 | 888 Bets Mozambique Limited | Yes | Part of the 888 Holdings group |
Mobile Money and Currency in Mozambique’s Betting Market
Every operator above prices accounts in Mozambique’s Metical, shown on-site as “MT,” and all six accept deposits through the country’s two dominant mobile wallets: M-Pesa, run by Vodacom and dialled through *150#, and e-Mola, run by Movitel through *898#. A third wallet, mKesh (Tmcel, *500#), has a smaller footprint but is accepted by some platforms too. This guide covers which wallets each operator supports, not the minimum deposit amounts or a step-by-step funding walkthrough — that level of payment detail sits outside what this country comparison is trying to do.
Frequently Asked Questions About Betting Sites in Mozambique
Is online sports betting legal in Mozambique?
Yes. Sports betting operates under its own IGJ-issued authorisation, separate from the new online-casino framework being finalised in 2026. Every operator compared above holds a published IGJ reference number specifically for sports betting activity.
What is the IGJ?
IGJ stands for Inspecção-Geral de Jogos, Mozambique’s General Gaming Inspectorate. It operates under the Ministry of Economy and Finance and is responsible for issuing and supervising gambling and betting licences nationwide.
Which mobile money services can I use to bet in Mozambique?
M-Pesa (Vodacom) and e-Mola (Movitel) are accepted by every operator compared in this guide. mKesh (Tmcel) is supported by a smaller number of platforms.
Can I trust a bookmaker’s claimed IGJ licence number?
Not automatically. The IGJ does not run a single, easily searchable public register, so licence numbers circulating across review sites sometimes conflict — as shown above with ElephantBet’s three different cited references and the overlap between Betway’s and PremierBet’s numbers. Checking a number against the operator’s own official domain is a reasonable first step, but it is not a substitute for the IGJ’s own record.
Thabo Ndlovu is a passionate sports analyst with extensive knowledge of African football, sports betting trends, and online bookmakers. He covers major leagues, betting tips, match predictions, and responsible betting for sports fans across Africa.
