Best Betting Sites in Ethiopia

Like many African countries, Ethiopia has chosen to take a liberal approach to gambling. It is an activity widely accepted within Ethiopian culture, as evident by the countries gambling laws. This is the ideal environment for any sports betting enthusiast looking for the best bookies by country as it paves the way to increased leisure activities. However, while the climate for betting in Ethiopia is regulated, the best method to identify the best betting sites in Ethiopia is the information we include below. This is purposefully designed to be informative and provides you with the tools needed in the identification process.

Top Leading Bookmakers in Ethiopia

If you are attracted to online betting, and from Ethiopia, it is likely that you have considered punting with an offshore bookie. Below you will find a list of our top leading bookmakers for Ethiopia capable of meeting your gaming needs.

Top Ranked Betting Sites in Ethiopia By Feature

1. 1xbet – Our top pick bookie for Ethiopia
2. Melbet – Great for beginner bettors
3. Betwinner – Best bookie for eSports & Virtuals
4. Megapari – Generous bonuses and specials

Ethiopia’s TOP Bookies Reviewed

Silentbet did a thorough research into the top ranking betting sites in Ethiopia for 2024. Here are more details regarding each brand.

1xbet

Our #1 site has always held a special place in the hearts of players who expect more than the usual sports betting experience. After more than 14 years of delivering world-class sports betting, it is clear 1xbet is on the right path. For starters, the bookie covers more than 28 sports and includes fixtures for pre-match and live betting. They complement that with championship betting and multiple filtering options.

If the above is not enough to justify 1xBet’s premium bookie status, their collection of gaming alternatives should do the trick. Like the sportsbook, these include esports, Toto, virtuals, bingo, poker, and more.

Melbet

Established in early 2012, Melbet is a bookie committed to bringing the best in online sports betting to Ethiopian bettors. Considering the competition, being one of the best Ethiopian bookmakers is no small accomplishment. To achieve that, Melbet was through in the sports markets it has chosen to cover. Along with daily fixtures, the bookie includes live fixtures, competitive odds, results page, and three odd formats.

The casino is another reason for Melbet’s success. One visit, and you appreciate the opportunities it brings to the table. Starting with slots, poker, and 3D games, there are options for bingo, keno, blackjack, and roulette. If that is not enough, the live casino offers bettors a full library of live dealer games.

Betwinner

With more than 30 sports markets and endless betting options, Betwinner is one of the top picks for Ethiopian players. They can bet on hundreds of sports events, have access to live updates and live streaming service.

As for BetWinner’s alternative betting options, they range from lotteries to bingo, poker, casino, and live dealer games. While some may see this as a standard, the casino goes an extra mile to provide better than average online gambling solutions.

MegaPari

Here is one of the younger additions to our list of Ethiopian bookmaker sites. Having begun its journey in 2019, MegaPari has surprisingly achieved a knack for offering above-average live odds. In the same fashion, the bookie chose to include over 40 sports, in-play opportunities, live previews, bingo, poker, virtuals, lotteries, and financials. Structured to compete with other top brands, the bookie includes hundreds of markets and several betting opinions.

Beyond the intuitive layout, Megapari has opted to broaden its appeal by including virtual and casino betting, poker, bingo, financials, lotto, esports, and toto. The goal is to cater to a full range of interests by offering crypto-friendly payment methods and a finely tuned promotions calendar.

How We Pick the Best Ethiopian Betting Sites

As we have explained, there are multiple offshore bookmakers offering betting services to the Ethiopian market. As online betting in Ethiopia is essentially an unregulated market, offshore bookies are not licensed by Ethiopia’s National Lottery Administration. However, most offshore bookmakers are legitimate and licensed by other gaming control boards.

Therefore, here are some of the features we consider when picking the best Ethiopian betting sites:

• Competitive Odds: The best Ethiopian bookmakers understand competitive odds are a minimum for sports betting, as are multiple odds formats.
• Markets: For an Ethiopian bookmaker to be competitive, they must offer a large number of markets and make them available for pre-match and live betting events.
• Live Streaming: This feature is highly sought-after by most Ethiopian punters. For online bookmakers to compete and enhance their functionality, live streaming is a must.
• Live Betting: Top-ranked bookmakers know the value live betting, and it is a must-have in today’s competitive sports betting market.
• Bonuses and Promotions: Next to betting features, bonuses and promotions enhance the overall user experience and increase the potential for profitability.

Gambling in Ethiopia – the Basics

After the county enacted the national lottery proclamation, gambling in Ethiopia has been legal since 1953. The purpose of the national lottery proclamation was to legalise lottery betting and provide regulatory oversight via the National Lottery Administration. The scope of the administration’s responsibilities includes regulating gambling activities, licensing, and collection of licensing fees.

However, while the Ethiopian government has legalised betting, it only applies to land-based operations. Online betting remains unregulated, leaving bettors in Ethiopia without any regulatory oversight. The shining star in this, though, is that online bookies are licensed within other jurisdictions, which govern their operations in Ethiopia and other markets. That provides Ethiopian players with the safety and oversight needed for regulatory online gambling activities.

• Currency: Ethiopian birr
• Population: 115,645,152
• Active Players: No estimate
• Designated Authority: National Lottery Administration
• Regulated Gambling Products: Lottery, poker, casino, sports betting, online casino
• Types of Operators: Betting shops, offshore operators

Did you know that?

• The most popular betting product in Ethiopia is the lottery. It accounted for more than $4 million in profits for the National Lottery Administration in 2019.
• Only 15% of Ethiopia’s population has access to the internet due to the lack of telecommunications investment.
• As of 2021, the fastest growing form of betting in Ethiopia is sports betting.

Guide to Betting in Ethiopian Bookies

Betting in Ethiopia is easily accomplished by registering with an online bookmaker or casino. The first step to choosing the top bookmakers in Ethiopia is to use our guide below:

1. Choose one of the bookmakers in our top leading bookmakers in Ethiopia.
2. Register an account and complete the verification steps.
3. Deposit into your account using an approved payment method.
4. Compare the odds and choose a betting market.
5. Enter the amount you wish to stake.
6. Submit your betslip.

Ethiopian Betting Industry

The Ethiopian betting industry has been well-established since betting became a legal activity within its borders. The good to this is online bookies are licensed and, therefore, regulated by other governing authorities. Unfortunately, the current Ethiopian regulation does not account for online betting. By no means does that make online betting unsafe, but it does bring into question the validity of some betting sites.

Having said that, there are details about the Ethiopian betting industry that punters should take into consideration. The main details include whether real money is banned if international bookies restrict Ethiopians and if winnings are taxed. These are addressed in the preceding sections.

Is Real-Money Betting Banned in Ethiopia?

As a regulated industry, Ethiopians are legally permitted to wager on sports, lottery, and casino games and have as early as 1953. The only questionable activity concerning real money betting is punting with offshore betting sites. However, as the law does not account for online betting, nothing states real money betting online is illegal.

Do International Bookmakers Restrict Ethiopian Punters?

In some cases, international bookmakers will restrict Ethiopian punters from accessing their betting platforms. This is most resultant on licensing limitations and the lack of regulation governing online betting in Ethiopia.

Are Winnings from Betting Taxed?

Ethiopian players are not taxed on gambling winnings when betting with licensed land-based establishments. The taxation of revenue generated from betting is the responsibility of the licensed gambling operator.

Types of Bonuses & Offers

The bonuses and offers Ethiopian bookmakers feature are an attractive side to betting with offshore sites. Some of the most common types of bonuses you are likely to come across include will be deposit-based. This is natural, though, and often joined by enhanced ACCA promotions, free bets, and even odds boosts.

One thing is certain, no matter which bookie you choose, the options you can avail are not exclusively offered to Ethiopians. However, that is what you want as offers are fair and on par with those offered to other punters.

Ethiopian Bettors’ Favourite Sports for Betting

The Ethiopian bettors favourite sports for betting are football, distance running, athletics, and basketball. Most Ethiopian involved in sports, and even those who are not, engage in physical activity relating to its most popular sports.

• Football
  Football is the most favourite sport for live betting and preferred odds in Ethiopia. Despite the country achieving success since 1962 when it won the African Cup of Nations, it is widely played at the scholastic level and in various local leagues.
• Distance Running
  Distance running is a favourite sport among Ethiopian bettors due to the success of its athletes during the Olympics and World Championship. Along with ranking fifth in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the country has produced world record holders such as Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele.
• Athletics
  As a country known for endurance sports, athletics is another of its favoured sports for betting. Most commonly played among its people, athletics play an important role and is widely seen as a national sport.
• Basketball
  Basketball became a favourite sport for betting in Ethiopia after joining the International Basketball Federation in 1949. Since joining, the sports remained a popular sport, although the country has failed to produce results during international competitions.

Are Online Casinos Popular?

Like any other country that has legalised gambling, online casinos are popular with Ethiopian bettors. The majority of Ethiopians enjoy playing games of chance and card games such as poker, blackjack, and Roulette. However, other online casino games popular with Ethiopians include lottery, bingo, and live dealer games. This is likely due to the lottery being legalised in Ethiopia and the favourable payouts these games tend to produce.

Payment Options & Currency in Ethiopia

The best betting sites in Ethiopia recognize the national currency in Ethiopia is the birr. However, while some bookies accept the birr, others convert the birr into euros. This is easily combatted by using cryptocurrencies to fund accounts or by using e-wallets, bank transfers, or credit cards. In this respect, they are a better option for Ethiopians who prefer to avoid costly conversion rates.

Mobile Punting

In a country where only 15% of the population have internet access, mobile punting in Ethiopia is less common. While the last of telecommunications is to blame, mobile punting in Ethiopia grows yearly. Resultantly, the best betting sites in Ethiopia all offer one form of mobile betting or another. The most reliable of the options for mobile punting are betting apps, while mobile websites provide similar reliability.

Number 1 Bookie for Ethiopian Punters

The number 1 bookie for Ethiopian punters, according to Silentbet, is 1xbet. As a bookmaker with a diverse betting portfolio, it offers a highly intuitive betting platform for live betting. That intuitivity is dispersed across all betting platforms, including sports, casino, bingo, esports virtual, and Toto betting platforms.

More importantly, 1xBet extends that same intuitive design to its structure and layout and the flexible options for betting. Resultantly, bettors will find events, odds, and betting markets clearly identified under their respective headings and whether the event is live. They will also have at their disposal logically placed menus for site navigation and a generous number of mobile betting options.

The Bottom Line

The Ethiopian betting industry has evolved since its earliest inception and legalization. While more is needed to bring it in line with the 21st century, gambling laws lag behind other African nations in adopting online betting. Unfortunately, the countries have failed to address this side of betting, and therefore it remains unregulated.

The positive side of this is the lack of regulatory oversight for the online gambling sector and its impact on punters. For the most part, the impact is favourable as nothing prevents Ethiopians from punting with offshore bookies. For the foreseeable future, that is not likely to change.

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