Is online gambling legal in Malawi?

Legal overview

Gambling in Malawi is governed by the Gaming and Lotteries Act, No. 34 of 2022, published on 14 October 2022. It replaced the old Gaming Act and Lotteries Act and created the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority (MAGLA), which licenses and supervises casinos, gaming machines, lotteries and sports betting. Section 26 allows the Authority to grant an internet gaming licence to a company incorporated in Malawi, and states that no one may conduct internet gaming without such a licence. An operator counts as providing internet gaming in or from Malawi if at least one piece of its gaming equipment is located in the country, and the licence may require equipment to be based in Malawi. Section 27 sets up a separate sports betting licence.

MAGLA's published register lists licensed sports betting operators with websites, including Betway, Premier Bet and BetPawa, along with land-based casinos in Blantyre and Lilongwe, national lottery operators and gaming machine sites. The register has no separate internet gaming category, but the state news agency MANA reported that Jackpot City Casino, run by Golden Bay Limited (which also operates Betway in Malawi), launched an online casino platform licensed by MAGLA. Players should check the register for each brand.

The Act sets 18 as the age limit: letting a child under 18 play, bet or enter licensed gaming premises is an offence punishable by a fine of K20,000,000 and up to five years in prison. Unlicensed internet gaming and sports betting are offences for operators, and MAGLA has warned citizens to avoid unlicensed sites. Offshore operators without equipment in Malawi are not licensed and give players no local protection.