Quick answer
Look for the licence statement on the bookmaker's website (usually in the footer), note the company name and any licence number, then check it against the Lotteries and Gaming Board of Zimbabwe's public operator register or ask the Board directly. A licence from another country is not the same as a Zimbabwean licence.
On this page
Who licenses betting in Zimbabwe
Gambling in Zimbabwe is regulated by the Lotteries and Gaming Board (LGB), a public body set up under the Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26]. The Board licenses bookmakers, casinos and other gaming operators. Its website is lgb.co.zw.
Step 1: Find the bookmaker's licence statement
Scroll to the bottom (footer) of the bookmaker's website or open its "About us" or "Terms" page. A licensed operator normally states:
- the regulator that licensed it,
- the company that holds the licence, and often
- a licence number.
If a site gives no licence information at all, treat that as a serious warning sign.
Step 2: Check the regulator's register
The LGB website has a public operator search at lgb.co.zw/operator, with filters for operator type (such as bookmaker or casino), name, province and city.
When we checked in October 2026:
- it listed more than 200 licensed bookmaker premises across Zimbabwe, with addresses;
- some entries showed a brand name (for example Bezbets, Mwos and Africabet), but many showed only a code;
- it did not list websites or say which operators are licensed for online betting.
So the register is useful to confirm that a company is a licensed operator, but it may not answer every question about a website. If you cannot match a site to the register, ask the Board directly using the contact details on its official website, and give the site's name, web address and the licence details it shows.
Step 3: Understand offshore licences
Some betting sites available in Zimbabwe hold licences from other jurisdictions, such as Curaçao or Anjouan (Comoros). An offshore licence:
- is not a licence from the Zimbabwean regulator;
- means disputes are handled under that other jurisdiction's rules, which may be hard for you to use from Zimbabwe;
- does not by itself tell you whether the site may legally serve customers in Zimbabwe.
Our is online betting legal in Zimbabwe? guide explains why this matters.
Step 4: Check the details match
- Does the company name in the footer match the name in the terms and conditions?
- Does the licence number look complete and consistent everywhere it appears?
- Is the web address exactly the bookmaker's official address?
How BetGuide shows licence information
On each bookmaker review we show one of three labels:
- Licence verified — we have recorded evidence of a licence: the brand is listed in the LGB operator register, or the bookmaker's own website names its regulator (and a licence number where given). We link the source and show the date. If the licence is offshore, the review says so.
- Verified: no licence found — we checked and could not find a valid licence.
- Licence not yet verified — we have not found that evidence yet. We still quote what the bookmaker itself says, with a link to the source.
We never invent licence numbers. Read more in our editorial policy.
Summary
Read the licence statement, check it with the LGB register, ask the Board if unsure, and remember that an offshore licence is not a Zimbabwean licence.