Sports betting in Zambia has become increasingly popular. More sports lovers are getting into it, and for this reason, we’ve decided to provide this guide.

Is it Legal to Place Sporting Bets in Zambia?

Yes, online gambling is legal in Zambia. The authorities issue licenses to operators wanting to offer betting services in Zambia. The Tourism and Hospitality Act monitors online betting in Zambia. They decide who gets the gambling license and ensure they fulfill all the requirements. 

In addition, the betting control licensing body in Zambia is regulated by the Betting Control Act. This law lays out the requirements for issuing licenses to sportsbooks and casinos. 

If you’ve been wondering if it is safe to use online bookies in Zambia, there’s no worry. Ever since the 2007 legislation, it has since become legal. Before 2007, the legislation in place was the Betting Control Act of 1958, which was later amended in 1994. 

This Act made it legal for Zambians that meet the legal age requirement to gamble. However, this was limited to horse races and different sports events.

Under the new rules of 2007, the Zambian government included a number of regulations for online sports betting. The reason was to checkmate the activities of illegal gambling activities in Zambia. 

The new rules state that gambling operators apply for a license from the betting control licensing board. In addition, they are to set up a physical presence in Zambia. The regulations also make it compulsory for betting operators in Zambia to provide customer service to help resolve payment issues.

Sports Betting in Zambia

On Which Sport To Bet In Zambia?

There is no doubt that Africans love sports, and that includes Zambians. There is especially a preference for football in the country. 

However, one cannot rule out the presence of other sporting events that have captured the hearts of citizens. As a result, it has added to the popularity of sports betting in the country.

Sports lovers are always set to bet on their favorite sports. There are many events to bet on apart from football betting. Some of them include:

  • Basketball
  • Table Tennis
  • Volleyball
  • Ice Hockey
  • Rugby
  • Boxing
  • Baseball
  • Virtual Sports
  • eSports

Bet On Football In Zambia

The most popular sport in Zambia is football. You will find a section of this game in all bookies operating in the country. Football is played worldwide, and most people are ready to put everything down for this sport. 

You’ll find top leagues like the English Premier League, National Leagues, Serie A, La Liga, and many others.  As a result, punters have many options, mainly after they’ve analyzed the game. Some of the betting markets you will find at online sports betting sites include:

Match Results (1X2): This is the most popular betting option on the list of online sports betting sites list. For this market, punters decide who will win the match or if it will end in a draw. 

There are other market variations, like the first half and full-time. In this case, the punter predicts which team will win either of the halves or if there will be a draw.

Double Chance: The double chance market is similar to the match results, but this time, punters can bet on two options instead of one. You can decide if either of the two teams will win (12) or if one team may win, or the game will end in a draw (1X or 2X)

First Goal Scorer: This is another popular option you can bet on in football games. Here punters can guess which player will be the first to score a goal. 

Both Teams To Score (BTTS): You’ll find this option in all sports betting sites in Zambia. For BTTS, punters decide if the two teams will score a goal in the entire match. It’s either a “Yes” or “No” answer. If the two teams score, then you win the bet.

Bet On Basketball In Zambia

Basketball is another popular sport to bet on in Zambia. The most famous event in this game, however, is the NBA. Next to football betting, this sport has also captured the hearts of punters in Zambia. Basketball is an established sport, and like football, it has its rules.

You’ll find basketball betting events in both live and pre-match options. There are also many betting markets in Basketball at online sports betting sites in the country. If you’re getting into sports betting in Zambia, here are some popular betting markets you should know about.

Match Winner (1X2): Like football, punters can bet on which team will win the entire game. The 1X2 betting option is the most popular market in online sports betting sites.

Race To 30 Points: If you’re betting on Race to 30, a team will reach exactly 30 points first in the game. In other words, you can bet on either of the teams to get to 30 points first. However, it does not mean they have to win the game.

Quarter Winner: This is another variation of the match-winner option. If you bet on the Quarter winner, you pick a quarter for a team to win. For instance, you can bet that team 1 will win the first quarter. Even if they lose the other quarters in the game, the bet only focuses on the results of the chosen Quarter.

Half Winner: In basketball, there are two halves in the game. You can bet on a team to win the first or second half. This means that they will have scored more total points in the first two quarters or the last two quarters. In other words, they don’t have to win the entire game but only one of the halves.

Bet On Tennis In Zambia

Tennis is another popular sport but not like football. There are still many fans that follow this sport regularly. As a result, you’ll always find Tennis events on sports betting sites in Zambia. 

Tennis lovers can bet on this game live or the pre-match options. In addition, these events usually carry one of the most competitive odds in sports betting in Zambia. 

There are even virtual versions of tennis games online for punters to bet on. Tennis players particularly prefer to bet on one-on-one tennis competitions. The most popular events are the Wimbledon and US Open. Most sports betting sites in Zambia offer the following markets for tennis:

Handicap: Handicap markets are also widely available in sports betting in Zambia. Most bookies offer handicap betting in tennis games and other popular sports. You can bet on them, especially in the big tournaments where mismatched players compete. 

First Set Winner: Punters in Zambia can also bet on the First set winner in the game. In other words, the player doesn’t have to win all the sets. Your bet will win if your guess is right for the first set alone.

Overs/Unders: The overs/unders option is one of the popular markets in sports betting in Zambia. Punters can bet if a team will score over or under a number of points.

Betting Sites In Zambia

If you are new to sports betting in Zambia, you’ll need to sign up with the best sites in the country. Zambia has some of the most popular and trusted online betting sites. It is, however, wise to only register at licensed online sports betting sites. 

You won’t have any problems when using these betting sites. For this reason, we will mention some of the sports betting sites we recommend for Zambian punters.

  • 1xBet
  • Premier Bet
  • Gal Sports Betting

Other international online betting sites that are accessible from Zambia are:

  • 22Bet
  • Betway
  • BetWinner
  • William Hill
  • N1Bet

Live Betting In Zambia

If you’re getting into sports betting in Zambia, you should know about live betting. The difference between live bets and pre-match betting is that you place bets on ongoing games. When the game kicks off, online sports betting sites offer markets for live bets.

The reason why many punters prefer live betting over pre-match games is that they can make informed decisions. While the game is on, you can keep up with the players’ performance. You can easily predict what is likely to happen on the field.

What makes live betting even more favored is the availability of a wide variety of betting markets. Premier Bet, for instance, offers the most markets for its live betting section compared to other sports betting sites in Zambia.

It’s easy to start live betting because all bookies have a separate section. You only need to locate the live section to begin placing your bets.

The Popular Betting Events Zambia

New players looking to begin sports betting in Zambia have many options. However, there are some notable sporting events all sports lovers look forward to. The big tournaments, for instance, because they have the largest betting markets. Here are some of the most popular events punters can bet on in Zambia.

  • FIFA World Cup
  • UEFA European Championship
  • Europa Conference League 
  • Africa Cup Of Nations
  • The UEFA Champions League
  • Copa America
  • FA Cup
  • AFC Asian Cup
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup
  • Wimbledon
  • French Open
  • Australian Open
  • US Open
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA

In addition to these international competitions, punters can also bet on national competitions. In Zambia, there are also leagues like the Zambia National Division One.

Most bookies offer betting options for Zambia leagues, where you can bet on teams like Power Dynamo FC, Zanaco FC, Green Buffaloes FC, and Kabwe Warriors, among others. Zambia is known to have some of the top international players like Patson Daka, Lubambo Musonda, Kabaso Chongo, and many more.

Responsible Gambling in Zambia

With regards to online betting companies, Zambia gaming authorities make sure that they comply with the responsible gaming policy. As you begin your journey in sports betting in Zambia, you must follow safe gambling practices.

Gambling is addictive, and you should avoid gambling with money you can’t afford to lose. Also, ensure you don’t make online betting a regular habit. Most bookies monitor your gambling activities, so they can easily detect unhealthy gambling.