Is online gambling legal in Lesotho?

Legal overview

Gambling in Lesotho is legal on a limited, land-based basis. National press reports trace the legal framework to the Lotteries and Betting Act of 1984, which was extended in 1989 to allow a regulated gambling industry. Licensing and supervision are attributed to the Lesotho Gambling and Betting Control Board, which is described as licensing operators, enforcing the gambling rules and promoting public education on responsible gambling; local critics have also called for inspections by the board together with the Ministry of Tourism. The official text of the legislation could not be consulted, so the detailed rules on casinos, betting shops and lotteries are not confirmed here.

No source describes a licence for online casinos. Lesotho's gambling legislation predates the internet, and both national and trade press state that online gambling has not been regulated: there is no local online casino licence, and no law expressly bans residents from playing on foreign websites. No blocking of gambling websites or payments has been reported. As a result, residents who play online use foreign-licensed operators in a grey market, without the protection of a Lesotho regulator or a local complaints procedure.

Gambling, including sports betting by young people, has become a public concern in Lesotho. In April 2025 the national newspaper The Reporter described gambling as a silent crisis among young people and quoted the civil society group Gambling Awareness Lesotho, which criticised a lack of accountability in oversight and argued that a simple trading licence should not be enough to run a gambling business. No reform bill on online gambling was found.

Verification status: this overview is based on secondary sources and has not yet been checked against the official law text or the regulator. Confirm the details with the national authority before relying on them.