Ethiopia's prohibition on sports betting remains firmly in place as the Ethiopian Lottery Service (ELS) asserts that no licensed operator currently exists in the country. The regulatory agency recently issued a warning via its official Telegram channel, alerting the public to the dangers of engaging with unlicensed betting platforms. They cautioned that these illegal operators pose significant risks to both personal data and financial security.
The ELS stated in their announcement last week, "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 clarification follows a wave of enforcement actions that began in late 2025. In November, Ethiopian authorities, specifically the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), arrested 24 individuals with ties to various sports betting firms over allegations of extensive tax evasion and illegal financial activities. Shortly thereafter, ELS suspended 22 betting licenses, leading to a complete withdrawal of all licenses in December, thereby dismantling the legal betting market.
While officials cited concerns over illegal financial transactions and national security, it remains unverified whether the revocation of the licenses was directly related to the arrests. Despite the existing ban, government representatives have hinted that the possibility of reintroducing a licensed betting market may be explored in the future.
