Best Betting sites in Ethiopia

In our table below, you will find the top online bookmakers in Ethiopia.

Introduction

Ethiopia is a Western African country that shares its borders with Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Kenya. As a West African country, it is home to over 115 million people who primarily avoid betting activities. As a result, land-based betting shops are non-existent, while online sports betting thrives.

In this best betting site in Ethiopia article, we will look closely at betting in Ethiopia and pride clarity of its gambling laws. Moreover, we provide a list of top online betting sites for Ethiopians, including information about betting features, bonuses, leading sports and more.

What are the Top 5 Online Betting Sites in Ethiopia?

As a country without online gaming legislation, Ethiopians have the liberty to choose from a growing selection of online sportsbooks. However, choosing a safe and reliable bookmaker can be challenging for Ethiopian punters. To ensure they have access to reliable bookmakers, here is our list of Ethiopia’s top betting sites.

Competition between Operators

The Ethiopian market is devoid of competition between operators as it is controlled by the National Lottery Administration. As the National Lottery Administration regulates all gambling-related activity, there are no formal operators within the country.

Therefore, the monopolies within Ethiopia are centred around state-licensed lotteries and licensed sportsbook operators beyond competition between online operators. In this respect, competition exists, but it is somewhat muted due to the country’s limited social acceptance of betting.

What are the available Payment Methods in Ethiopia?

The available payment methods in Ethiopia include bank transfers, online payment solutions and ATM transfers. While these differ slightly from those offered in other jurisdictions, they function similarly. Unfortunately for Ethiopians, very few online bookmakers accept transactions using the Ethiopian Birr. Therefore, bettors will incur a minimal currency conversion cost when transacting online.

However, while this is inconvenient, the minimum transactional rates are ideal for the Ethiopian market. Generally, the minimum amount for deposits is 10 euros, although this is dependant on the bookmaker. As for withdrawals, the payment methods are identical to deposits, but withdrawal minimums will be 20 euros or more.

What are the Mobile Betting options in Ethiopia?

The mobile betting options in Ethiopia resemble those available to bettors in other Western African countries. Ethiopian bookmakers offer two options: a mobile website and mobile betting apps. While both offer immediate access to sports and other betting options, the two are distinctively different.

A mobile website is accessible only through a compatible mobile browser, while an app requires downloading and installation. However, beyond system updates, the differences between the two end as both offer the same betting options and features.

One difference worth mentioning is Ethiopians opting to download apps have two options for downloading. These include direct via the bookmaker site or through the respective apps store. As for mobile sites, they require manually entering the bookie site into a mobile browser. However, Ethiopian punters can avail a web app for more efficient access.

What are the Leading sports for betting in Ethiopia?

The leading sports for betting in Ethiopia wishing to punt online is football, basketball, athletics and volleyball. The top sports are closely tied to the popularity of those sports within Ethiopian society. As such, punters are naturally drawn to betting on those sports, but they deserve an explanation.

• Football
  Like most West African countries, football plays a prominent role in the lives of Ethiopians. A major contributing factor to football being a leading sport is the many local clubs and the country’s national teams.
• Basketball
  Basketball’s popularity also is resultant on the countries national team and star players such as Buay Tuach. In addition, the country has an active local basketball association and men’s national under-16 basketball team.
• Athletics
  Athletics is a primary source of physical activity within Ethiopia’s society at both the local and Olympic levels. As the International Amateur Athletic Federation, Ethiopia is home to long-distance runners and Olympic gold medalists Haile Gebrselassie and Abebe Bikila.
• Volleyball
  Volleyball has been a leading sport for betting since the 1970s when it was prevalent in Ethiopian schools. Part of the reasons it remains a leading sport is the countries Women’s National Team and local volleyball clubs.

The profile of an Ethiopian Bettor

It is difficult to dissimilate the average profile for an Ethiopian bettor due to the demographic nature of Ethiopian society. As many in the country view gambling negatively, it is unclear what age group most frequently gamble. Likewise, social and economic factors for profiling purposes are unclear. It is tied to the social stigma within Ethiopia’s predominantly Muslim population.

However, the country has a long history of offering lottery games, and that is commonly a non-gender form of betting. Unfortunately, its National Lottery Administration does not provide statistical information that would help to develop an Ethiopian player profile. Therefore, considering the societal norms, we have to assume the average bettor is male, employed and between the ages of 25 and 65.

FAQ about Online Betting in Ethiopia

Our Final Verdict about betting in Ethiopia

The betting industry in Ethiopia is far from being viewed as liberal. While the country has slowly been adopting a more liberal attitude towards sports betting, it remains unregulated, and therefore laws are outdated. The positive to this is that without regulations and rules governing online betting, Ethiopians are free to gamble online.

Whether this will change in the future is anyone’s guess, but internet betting in Ethiopia is legal for the time being. Resultantly, Ethiopians are free to register with any of our top Ethiopian betting websites and punt as their leisure.