Best 44 Online Casino​s in Ethiopia

Located in the Horn of Africa (East Africa), Ethiopia or also known by its official name – the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia shares its borders with Eritrea to the north, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, Sudan and South Sudan to the West, as well as Djibouti and Somaliland on the northeast.

During the late 19th century, Ethiopia was one of only two countries that managed to preserve its sovereignty from long-term colonization by European countries. It is interesting to mention that this country is also famous for being the cradle of mankind since some of the earliest ancestors to humans were found buried in the soil here. More than 70% of the mountains in Africa are located here and Ethiopians are known for being one of the best long-distance runners.

When it comes to gambling, many people will find it surprising that Ethiopia is one of the countries in which the law regulates both land-based and online gambling. Yes, that is right, the National Lottery Administration, or also known as NLA, regulates these activities and has been authorized since 1961 to run certain types of games like poker, lottery, video poker, bingo, and other casino games.

The reason why this is surprising is that Ethiopia is a relatively poor country in which not many people have access to the Internet. To be more precise, research has shown that only 15% of its population has a stable connection to the Internet. Ethiopians are welcomed at pretty much every online casino, both domestic and foreign.

Even though most of the sites do not support the Ethiopian language, that does not stop the residents from accessing online casinos every once in a while and enjoy their favourite casino game. As for land-based casinos, they have been legal for quite some time. Every land-based Ethiopian casino must register with the NLA and obtain a license in order to operate.

However, the funny thing here is that it appears that there are no facilities of this kind in Ethiopia. The only records of a land-based casino originate in the 80s when the Ghion Hotel & Casino operated, but due to certain conflicts, it closed down. In doing so, it allowed the online casino industry to grow with ease. Even though Ghion Hotel & Casino opened its doors again, there are not a lot of games available at this casino.

The history of online casinos and gambling, in general, in Ethiopia, takes us back to 1981, when the National Lottery Administration was tasked with governing and regulating all gambling activities. It is interesting to mention that even though the National Lottery Administration was established in 1961, it wasn’t until 20 years later when it started regulating the gambling scene in Ethiopia. During the 80s, there was only one land-based casino in Ethiopia and it was part of a resort. Ghion Hotel & Casino was the only operating land-based casino during these years.

There was a time when this resort was closed due to some complications, and during the period of lockdown, there were no land-based casinos in Ethiopia. This kind of paved the way for online casinos as they were the only option for Ethiopian players to access their favourite casino games. In the past 5-6 years, online casinos have gained the attention of Ethiopian players and those who have a connection to the Internet are more than open to register at these sites and play the games.

These days, Ghion Hotel & Casino is operating, but the casino has very few games and it cannot accommodate too many players. As a result, online casinos are free to operate in Ethiopia. Ever since the government took some steps towards bettering the Internet connection in the country, online casinos have become more reachable.

But, as stated earlier, not many people have access to the Internet, so the popularity of online casinos is not that great. Currently, there are no online casinos based or licensed in Ethiopia, but the residents are more than welcome to access foreign sites in search of entertainment.

Some of them do that as they register at foreign sites. Foreign sites provide them with a better gaming experience because they have stricter rules when it comes to player safety and fair-play. Not only that, but they also offer tons of bonuses and promotions to Ethiopian players.

The future of online casinos in Ethiopia is very blurry and the chances that the industry will stagnate in the upcoming period are high. After all, the population in Ethiopia is fairly poor, most of them do not have an Internet connection – not even mobile phones to access online casinos. Even if the steps that the government and the National Lottery Administration take to prove to be successful, it will take a lot of time before they can reap the benefits. Changes cannot happen overnight and that is the case with the online casino industry in Ethiopia.

The prediction here is that the gambling industry, especially the online gambling industry will not have any progress in the near future. As for the distant future, some improvements are likely to be seen if the future governments take the necessary steps to better the lives of the Ethiopian people.

Both online and land-based casinos are legal to operate in Ethiopia. The NLA licenses and regulates all gambling-related activities in this country. However, it is important to mention that the NLA has been often accused of being corrupt, so the smartest option for Ethiopian players is to access foreign sites if they want to reap all the benefits that online casinos provide.

When it comes to land-based gambling, there is just one casino in the whole country and it is part of a hotel. Ghion Hotel & Casino is a rather small casino that doesn’t have a lot of games available. So, even though both land-based and online gambling is legal in Ethiopia, it is hard for residents to access the games.

Land-based gambling is hardly accessed due to the fact that there is just 1 in the whole country and online gambling is hardly accessed because only a small part of the population in Ethiopia has access to the Internet. To be more precise, only 15% of the residents have an Internet connection. As for mobile gaming, around 3% of the population has mobile phones.

As for the question of whether Ethiopian players can access foreign sites, the answer is yes. They are very fond of this idea since foreign sites can provide them with benefits and other great features that the NLA cannot provide them with.

Since the National Lottery Administration mostly regulates lottery games, this type of casino games is the most popular for Ethiopian players. Billiards and card games are also loved by the residents here.

Other casino games that are popular in this region are bingo, poker, roulette and slot games. Bingo is also regulated by the NLA, while poker, roulette, and slots are classic casino games that are popular all around the world, not just in Ethiopia.

The reason why these three types are so popular is that they can offer tremendous rewards, especially slots. Progressive slots have a prize that keeps increasing as players feed it. Considering the fact that Ethiopians are mostly poor, they will always keep an eye on games that feature tremendous rewards, and that is exactly what progressive slot games offer.

Similar is the case with roulette and poker games. Roulette can reward Ethiopian players with great rewards when they bet on individual numbers, or double their bets when wagering on red or black. As for poker, the reason why this game is so attractive to the players is that it requires a lot of skill. Not only that, but players compete against other players and the stakes are massive. With proper knowledge, Ethiopians can receive great rewards when playing this game.

In some cases, Ethiopians are known to place bets on online sportsbooks, if the option is available to them. In the recent period, more online casinos have decided to come up with a so-called hybrid approach in which they offer both casino and sportsbook services to the players.

The number 1 favourite casino bonus in Ethiopia is the no deposit bonus. Why? Because this bonus allows the players to play the games and win real money without actually depositing a certain amount at the chosen online casino.

The same is the case with Free Spins. With this bonus, Ethiopian players can play slot games, which by the way, are among their favourite games, without the need to deposit money. Free Spins also give them the chance to win real-money rewards and withdraw after the wagering requirements have been met.

Since welcome bonuses at many online casinos often feature Free Spins, they are also adored by the residents in this country. The only difference is; welcome bonuses require them to deposit a certain amount before they can claim it. In most cases, the minimum deposit amount is around $10-20, so Ethiopian players use this bonus if the two aforementioned ones are not available for them.

Other casino bonuses that deserve a mention are daily bonuses and cashbacks. Daily bonuses reward Ethiopian players each day with a certain reward, while cashbacks allow them to have some of their losses over a certain period returned. Most commonly, cashbacks are applied to live dealer games, and the percentage that the players receive depends on some factors.

In most cases, cashback percentages depend on the loyalty status that Ethiopian players have at online casinos. The higher their level is on a loyalty program, the higher the cashback will be. In order to level up in these loyalty points, players must wager real money on the games at a certain casino. Not only do the players receive better cash back percentages by playing these games, but they also get exclusive offers, unique bonuses, personalized gifts, higher withdrawal limits, and much more.

Since there are no online casinos that are based in Ethiopia, there aren’t any accepted methods there. But, foreign sites that accept Ethiopian players have tons of accepted payment methods. The 2 most common methods that the residents in this country use are credit and debit cards. They have proven to be very secure in the online world and they provide the players with fairly fast transactions.

Deposits made with credit and debit cards are instant, while withdrawals have a processing time of a few business days. In most cases, fees are not applied for depositing or withdrawing money, although this depends on the casino’s banking options.

Other popular payment methods in Ethiopia include prepaid cards, vouchers, e-wallets, and most recently, cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have had a massive surge in popularity in the past couple of years and many online casinos accept them as a payment method due to the fact that they are fully optimized for digital use.

To make things even better, cryptocurrencies are also popular in all parts of Africa, Ethiopia included. It can provide some people with a chance to make a profit, while the people that like to play online casino games use cryptocurrencies as a payment method for 2 reasons.

First, it gives them greater online security as cryptocurrencies provide users with a certain level of anonymity thanks to the method called cryptology. Being safe in the online world is a great concern, especially for Ethiopians, since the government and its authorities are not so powerful in protecting its citizens here.

The second reason why they use it is that cryptocurrencies provide them with instant deposits and withdrawal and they do not charge any fees for these transactions. Every player is fond of a method that can provide them with instant withdrawals because most payment methods have a processing time. For some, it can even take up to two weeks before the money is transferred. That is not the case with cryptocurrencies.