Ethiopia’s law against sports betting is upheld, with the Ethiopian Lottery Service (ELS) confirming that there is no operator with a valid license, although there have been some recent court developments and speculations in the industry.
In a post on its official Telegram channel, the regulatory body cautioned consumers against using unlicensed betting sites, social media pages, or other payment methods, claiming that illegal operators create threats to one’s data and finances.
The clarification, posted on ELS’s official Telegram channel last week stated:
At present, there is no sports betting organisation operating in Ethiopia with a legal licence. We strongly caution citizens not to engage in betting or deposit money through illegally operating sports betting services, websites, social media pages, or any other money-collection channels.
This warning comes on the heels of the government’s heavy-handed enforcement action in late 2025. In November, 24 people connected to several sports betting companies were arrested by Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) for allegations of widespread tax dodging and illegal financial transactions.
A short while later, ELS suspended 22 betting licenses and then withdrew all licenses in December and effectively closed the legalized market.
Although the authorities cited risk of illegal financial transactions and national security problem, it has not been confirmed whether the withdrawal of licenses was connected to the recent arrests.
Despite the ban in place, it has been suggested by the authorities that licensed betting market might be considered in the near future.
