Namibia’s gambling culture is dominated by fast-growing sports betting, especially on football, alongside a small casino sector and a large network of gambling houses. Legal gambling was reshaped after independence by the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act of 1994 and is now governed by the Gaming and Entertainment Control Act 13 of 2018. The recent spread of mobile betting, locally nicknamed ‘okabetting’, has made gambling far more visible and prompted growing concern about addiction and its impact on low-income households.

A short history

After independence in 1990, Namibia used the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act of 1994 to govern casinos and gambling houses. Over the following decades betting spread steadily, and the sector modernised with the Gaming and Entertainment Control Act 13 of 2018, which came into force on 1 December 2021. That Act repealed the older gambling statutes, established the Gambling Board of Namibia as the central regulator, created a Gambling Trust Fund, and introduced modern licence categories for bookmakers, totalisators, suppliers and key employees.

Sports betting is central to Namibian gambling culture. Football (soccer) is the most popular market, with support for both local leagues and major international competitions. Rugby, deeply rooted in Namibian sporting life, and cricket also attract wagers. Beyond sports, the most common products are slot machines in gambling houses and casino table games such as roulette, blackjack and poker, along with lotteries. The three land-based casinos, in Windhoek and Swakopmund, anchor the more traditional casino experience.

The okabetting boom and its concerns

The biggest recent shift is the rise of ‘okabetting’ - accessible, phone-based betting that has drawn many young Namibians. Its visibility has prompted concern about problem gambling and its effect on low-income households, and it has attracted the attention of both the Gambling Board and NamRA, which in 2026 signed a cooperation agreement to bring gambling income into the tax net. Policy work addressing gambling harm and rehabilitation is under development.

Attitudes and outlook

Gambling in Namibia is legal and culturally accepted in its land-based and betting forms, but the rapid growth of mobile betting has sharpened debate about regulation, taxation and social harm. Expect continued reform as authorities work to modernise oversight, close tax gaps and address addiction.

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