Eswatini’s gambling culture is anchored by two things: decades-old resort casinos in the scenic Ezulwini Valley, and a modern, football-mad betting scene. Casino tourism dates back to 1965, when the Royal Swazi Spa opened as the first casino-hotel in the region. Today most everyday gambling revolves around sports betting — especially football — while lawmakers debate how to regulate an online market that has outpaced the country’s laws.

A Short History

Gambling in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) grew up around tourism. The Royal Swazi Spa opened in 1965, three years before independence, and became a landmark casino-hotel drawing visitors from neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique as well as from Europe. It has been described as an important source of foreign exchange, reportedly serving around 250,000 guests a year across its hotel, golf course and casino.

The Happy Valley Casino, also in the Ezulwini Valley, later added to the country’s resort-casino offering. This concentration of casinos in one scenic valley gave Eswatini a compact but well-established land-based gambling tradition tied closely to hospitality and cross-border tourism.

Modern gambling sits under the Gaming Control Act, 2022, administered by the Eswatini Gaming Board within the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs. The Gaming Board licenses land-based casinos, lotteries and bookmakers.

Crucially, reporting indicates the 2022 Act centres on land-based gaming and does not provide a clear framework for online casino platforms. The Gaming Board’s chair has confirmed that licensed operators hold bookmaker-only licences and that online casino-style games remain illegal. Officials have said a fuller regulatory framework is being developed, with completion reported as slated for 2026/27.

Modern Betting Culture

Today, most everyday gambling in Eswatini is sports betting, overwhelmingly on football. Bettors follow the Premier League of Eswatini alongside overseas competitions, especially the English Premier League. A handful of licensed bookmaker brands serve this market, and coverage suggests demand for digital betting has grown quickly — outpacing the country’s current laws and fuelling the debate over how to bring online play under proper oversight.

Attitudes and the Road Ahead

Cultural attitudes are mixed. On one hand, casino tourism has been part of the economy for over half a century and football betting is hugely popular. On the other, lawmakers and senators have raised concerns about gambling-related harm, underage access and how licences are awarded, pushing for stronger regulation and for the planned Gaming Addiction Fund to finally become operational.

The direction of travel is toward tighter, clearer rules — including a possible self-exclusion regime and a functioning support fund — even as the online market keeps growing ahead of the law.

You must be 18 or older to gamble in Eswatini. If gambling stops being fun or starts causing harm, set limits and seek help.

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