The ELS said in a press release: \u201cThe Ethiopian Lottery Service announces that the sports<\/strong> betting licences of 22 sports betting organisations have been\u00a0suspended\u00a0<\/strong>effective November 25, pursuant to Article 14\/2\/C\/ of Proclamation No. 535\/1999 and Sports Betting Lottery Licensing Directive No. 172\/2013.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ELS added: \u201cIt is known that the\u00a0owners\u00a0and accomplices of sports betting organisations suspected<\/strong> of hiding more than 100 billion birr which should have been government<\/strong> revenue, have been apprehended through the\u00a0collaboration<\/strong>\u00a0of the National Intelligence<\/strong> and Security Service, the\u00a0Financial Security Service, the Ethiopian Federal Police,\u00a0security bodies\u00a0of the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administrations and the public<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on the information <\/strong>sent from the National Intelligence and Security Service, the sports betting organisations listed have their sports betting work licenses suspended until the criminal investigation<\/strong> is completed, according to the ELS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Removing operators that fail to meet reporting and compliance<\/strong> obligations paves the way for legitimate, tax-compliant companies to operate in a more secure <\/strong>and regulated <\/strong>environment. The crackdown is expected to boost consumer confidence and encourage players <\/strong>to engage with licensed, transparent operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Birr Metrics report said: \u201cThe service affirmed that the\u00a0enforcement<\/strong>\u00a0is aimed at protecting\u00a0government\u00a0revenue, ensuring public trust<\/strong> and promoting transparency in the country\u2019s sports betting industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This follows the arrest<\/strong> of 24 individuals, including executives and associates of betting operators, suspected of under-reporting<\/strong> revenue. Some funds may have been routed through informal or offshore channels, though these claims remain under investigation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ethiopia\u2019s betting market has expanded rapidly, driven by mobile internet adoption and a young, tech-savvy population. Streamlined oversight<\/strong> and rigorous auditing are key to sustaining this growth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The country has a number of fully licensed<\/strong> betting operators regulated by the ELS, all of which comply <\/strong>with reporting, taxation and operational standards<\/strong>. Yet, the rapid growth<\/strong> of the market and limited enforcement in the past allowed unlicensed operators to flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By suspending these 22 non-compliant licences, the ELS is sending a clear signal that stricter oversight<\/strong> is coming, protecting consumers<\/strong>, safeguarding government revenue and supporting a legal, transparent and accountable<\/strong> betting market.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/12\/LIST-of-22-401x600.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNon-compliant operators removed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/photo-1511376868136-742c0de8c9a8-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\n