Best Online Casinos - Namibia

Not all gaming and betting activities in Namibia were acknowledged as legal ones by the state but judging by how interest grows within the local gaming community, we will dare predict a massive positive change for the industry within Namibia.

Certainly, for there to be a quality shift in public discourse, the country must tackle a few important concerns surrounding the industry first.

For starters, despite offline gambling being legal in the country, there is also a growing number of unlicensed betting venues. Many such businesses thrive in low-income areas, targeting the vulnerable demographic groups. This also draws funds away from the legal betting establishments as players take their money to unregulated casinos. This also leaves players exposed to unethical business practices, as none of the unlicensed betting venues are interested in protecting their customers. 

The fact that a certain percentage of betting and gambling venues online and offline remain in the shadows raises concerns about increased cases of addiction, impacting individuals' mental health and financial stability. Any casino that operates out in the open abides by the regulations and implements responsible gambling practices, but this is the level of quality that should not be expected from rogue betting venues. 

The state is partially to blame for both the increasing number of unlicensed casinos and the rise of concerns about mental health, as it still fails to legalize some betting activities and bring them out in the open. The local gambling community is actively voicing concerns about the Namibian government's inaction and calling for proper regulation of the entire gambling industry in Namibia.

Advocates are calling for the inclusion of support mechanisms within existing laws to help individuals struggling with gambling addiction. There is a recognized need for research into the effects of gambling addiction on mental health and the development of rehabilitation programs.

Is gambling legal in Namibia?

Offline gambling in the country is legal and regulated by the Gaming and Entertainment Control Act of 2018. This Act recognizes slot machines and table games, bets on sports and pari-mutuel betting legal if these services are delivered by licensed providers. Lotteries are also legal in Namibia and this activity is regulated under the Lotteries Act, 2017.

The Gambling Board, established by the 2018 Act, oversees the licensing and regulation of all gambling activities in Namibia. Its responsibility is to grant and renew licenses, monitor compliance of casinos and betting venues with the law, and advise the government on gambling-related questions.

Any business that wishes to provide games of chance or betting must receive a license from the Gambling Board. It therefore must submit an application with a comprehensive business plan, proof of financial stability, compliance with anti-money laundering and responsible gambling regulations. It must also undergo an audit and pay a licensing fee. Once licensed, the business remains in the focus of the Gambling Board’s attention and must ensure that it follows all the industry standards.

Namibia has a number of regulated land-based casinos, primarily located in major cities such as Windhoek, Swakopmund, and Walvis Bay. These brick-and-mortar venues offer a range of gaming options, including slot machines and table games. 

The country tries to maintain a balance between supporting an industry as controversial as gambling and to also allocate funds raised from taxing the industry towards socially important causes. These include funding education, healthcare, and rehabilitation from gambling addiction. 

The legal age for gambling is 21 years. This is one of the higher thresholds across African markets. The businesses are the ones in charge of verifying the age of their customers. In Namibia, casual gamblers are generally not taxed on their casino or betting winnings. The responsibility for taxation primarily falls on the licensed gambling operators, who are required to pay levies on their gross income.

Is online gambling legal in Namibia?

Namibia’s online gambling sector is a bit less straightforward as an offline one. The government recognizes betting venues and sports betting providers are allowed to apply to the Gambling Board to receive licensing. On the contrary, classic casino activity, including online slots and table games, is not specifically addressed in the Gaming and Entertainment Control Act of 2018.

So, does this mean that local providers can still offer casino games if they are not prohibited by the Act? Not exactly, unfortunately. The lack of recognition in other words indicates that there is no legal framework for certifying and auditing online casinos in Namibia. Not for now at least. This is why the Gambling Board won’t issue licenses to respective applicants and any local online casinos will be deemed unlawful.

That being said, players from Namibia are still able to access 100s of international online casinos that indicate they are friendly to traffic from this country. Our team has reviewed numerous global lobbies that either include Namibia among the accepted players or better yet, provide tailored services including secure payment methods, Namibia-friendly welcome and ongoing promotions, and other perks. 

Such platforms are usually regulated by the international licensing authorities, including the jurisdiction of Curacao, among others. This still leaves players somewhat vulnerable to the risks of running into unethical gaming sites. Therefore, choosing a platform carefully, making sure it has a license, certified games, and secure banking methods, is crucial. We also recommend checking back with professional review platforms like pour for an in-depth assessment of a site, as well as to monitor popular gambling forums for reviews from fellow players.

Banking is a crucial part of any online lobby. It must be inclusive of the needs of the target gaming or betting audience. When placing bets on sports in local virtual betting shops, players from Namibia will be able to do so in Namibian dollars and via several locally convenient payment methods. These include FNB eWallet, Zap and WalletMoza, DPO Group, and PayGate.

To play casino games, however, players from Namibia will have to look for international places to bet and win. A small number of platforms may support deposits and withdrawals in Namibian dollars. However, more often than not, NAD will simply not be available. In this case, we recommend tracking down platforms that accept crypto. This will allow for fast, efficient, and safe payments as crypto is decentralized and can be easily purchased and securely stored online or offline, on the so-called cold wallets.

Alternatively, players can choose to gamble in USD or EUR, as these two currencies are more than likely to be available in the majority of international platforms. However, such a decision will lead to increased exchange fees. Also, players will have to look for global payment methods that they have access to. Among such solutions, Skrill is one option that might interest players from Namibia. It is available in more than 80% of sites suitable for players from this country. Bank transfers and cards are two other options worth considering.

In one form or another, games of chance have been a part of Namibian cultural tradition for generations. One such game is Owela, a mancala-style board game that combines strategy, skills, and a bit of chance.

The country’s gambling traditions began an official transition into a structured industry with clearly defined genres and activities back in 1994, when the first Casino and Gambling House Act was introduced. It clearly outlined definitions for different game categories.

In today’s Namibia, slot machines dominate the landscape. There are quite a few themes in reeled adventures that the local community is drawn to. These include classic slots with fruits and Lucky 7’s, as well as mythology-themed games, reels inspired by thriller, adventure, and African culture. 

As for the favorite features, players are very fond of slots with free spins, hefty multipliers, and a progressive jackpot feature. Luckily, when welcomed by global sites, players have access to slots from the leading game developers. These are studios like booongo, Booming Games, Endorphina, Pragmatic Play, 1x2 Gaming, and many others.

Players in Namibia also appreciate live dealer content because classic games like roulette and blackjack are almost as popular as slot machines. The local community can benefit from amazing releases by Ezugi, Pragmatic Live, Vivo Gaming, and Lucky Streak, among other suppliers. This allows players to explore classic and original variations of live roulette, blackjack, and baccarat and have access to game shows and instant win games.