Zimbabwe raised its betting taxes sharply at the start of 2026. Ten months on, the market has grown rather than shrunk.
From 1 January 2025 operators paid 3 per cent of gross monthly takings, and 10 per cent was taken from player winnings. From 1 January 2026 the operator charge rose to 20 per cent of gross monthly takings, treated as a final tax, and the withholding on winnings rose to 25 per cent.
The changes sit in Act 7 of 2024 and Act 7 of 2025, the latter dated 29 December 2025, both published on ZimLII.
What the demand figures show
Measured demand rose 137.4 per cent between September 2025 and September 2026. January 2026, the first month under the higher rates, came in 2 per cent above December 2025 rather than below it.
September 2026 was the strongest month of the year, 15.7 per cent above August. Projected revenue rose 73.2 per cent year on year and kept climbing even in July, the month demand fell hardest.
One caution worth stating plainly: these are proprietary metrics from the analytics platform Blask, current to 27 October 2026, not official figures from the Zimbabwean government or the operators.
The market reshuffled underneath
The totals hide a sharp change in who holds the market. MWOS held the lead and barely moved, from 42.52 to 42.61 per cent.
AfricaBet lost 14.1 percentage points, falling from 30.05 to 15.92 per cent, although it stayed second. PrideBet and Winbucks entered the top six, while Zanzibet and Bolabet dropped off the leaderboard.
What it means
A near sevenfold rise in the operator rate has not suppressed activity, but it has moved share between operators. That is the pattern worth watching in other markets weighing similar increases, including South Africa's proposed 20 per cent online tax and Tanzania's rising tax take.
Readers wanting the underlying rules can read our guide to whether betting is legal in Zimbabwe. The data was reported by iGaming AFRIKA.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zimbabwe's betting tax in 2026?
Operators pay 20 per cent of gross monthly takings as a final tax. Twenty-five per cent is withheld from player winnings.
What were the rates before?
In 2025 operators paid 3 per cent of gross monthly takings and 10 per cent was withheld from winnings.
Did the higher tax reduce betting?
Not on the available figures. Measured demand rose 137.4 per cent year on year, and January 2026 was above December 2025.
Which operator leads the Zimbabwean market?
MWOS, on about 42.6 per cent. AfricaBet remains second after losing 14.1 percentage points of share.
Are these official government figures?
No. The demand and share figures come from the analytics platform Blask and are proprietary estimates. The tax rates come from Zimbabwean legislation.
Image: Brandon Mushori, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
