Mobile money drives Tanzania betting industry to new heights
Licensed sportsbooks leverage mobile wallets like M‑Pesa, Airtel Money and Tigo Pesa to expand access and digital payments in 2026.
Tanzania.- Mobile money continues to power Tanzania’s online betting market in 2026 as cashless, phone-based payments become central to how licensed sportsbooks operate across the country.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) statistics indicated that mobile money subscriptions reached around 66.5 million accounts in March 2025, up from 63.2 million in December 2024, and continued to rise to 71.7 million by September 2025, according to the Citizen.
The figures underscore the continued expansion of mobile wallets into 2026, highlighting their growing centrality in digital payments, including sports betting and online lotteries.
The main mobile wallets in use across the country include Vodacom M‑Pesa, widely adopted for deposits and payouts; Tigo Pesa / Mixx by Yas, which has expanded its services with new digital features; Airtel Money, accepted across most platforms and HaloPesa, a smaller wallet still supported by many operators.
Mobile wallets drive betting payments
Operators active in Tanzania’s betting market – including BetPawa and WasafiBet – list mobile money options such as M‑Pesa, Airtel Money and Tigo Pesa for deposits and withdrawals, and mobile wallets are widely cited as common payment methods across licensed platforms in 2026.
Mobile wallets are used for deposits and are often favoured over traditional bank transfers due to their simplicity and accessibility, making cashless transactions a central part of legal betting activity in Tanzania. Analysts note that in a country where banking access is limited for many citizens, mobile wallets provide an accessible, secure and regulated method for participating in sports betting and online lotteries, according to a Geopoll report.
With mobile money firmly established, Tanzania’s licensed betting sector in 2026 continues to expand, leveraging digital payments to reach new players while maintaining compliance under the Gaming Board of Tanzania’s regulatory framework.
