M-PESA LeHulum launches in Ethiopia, boosting access to mobile payments and legal sports betting
Telco-agnostic mobile-money platform enables seamless transactions, supporting financial inclusion and legal sports betting across Ethiopia.
Ethiopia.- Ethiopians can now participate in legal online sports betting more easily with the launch of M-PESA LeHulum, a telco‑agnostic mobile-money platform that works across all networks. The service allows users to send and receive money, pay bills, top up airtime and link wallets to bank accounts via smartphone, verified with a national ID, making digital transactions and access to legal sports betting simpler and more convenient for users.
Ethiopia only legally licenses sports betting and lottery games, while other forms of online gambling, including casinos and poker, remain illegal. M-PESA LeHulum can facilitate deposits and withdrawals for legal sports betting, among other digital financial services. The platform is expected to simplify transactions, raising the chances of higher participation in licensed betting platforms while ensuring compliance with national regulations.
Elsa Muzzolini, CEO of M-PESA Ethiopia, said: “M-PESA represents our commitment to building a digital financial ecosystem that unlocks opportunity, connects communities and provides accessible financial services for everyone, everywhere.”
Developed entirely in-house by Safaricom Ethiopia’s technology teams, the platform integrates with ETHSwitch, enabling seamless transfers between bank accounts and other wallets. Users can register with any phone number, verify their identity through the national Fayda Digital ID eKYC system and begin transacting within minutes.
Rapid growth and comprehensive services
Since its commercial introduction in August 2023, M-PESA Ethiopia has grown rapidly, reaching 10.8 million registered customers by December 2024. The platform supports sending and receiving money, bill and merchant payments, airtime top-ups, QR payments and access to the M-PESA Overdraft service (Errif Be M-PESA).
Ethiopia’s young, mobile-first population and growing internet penetration of around 21 per cent make the country a fertile environment for digital financial activity. Studies indicate strong engagement with sports betting among urban youth.
As Ethiopia expands its digital infrastructure, the government faces the dual challenge of promoting financial inclusion while monitoring potential risks associated with online betting. M-PESA LeHulum opens doors for convenient digital transactions, but its impact on online gambling will depend on the chances created by regulatory decisions, enforcement practices and the willingness of operators to integrate mobile-money solutions.
