He proposed to levy a 10% tax on winnings from betting shops. The proposal was made during the distribution of the National Budget 2025. 

What is known?

This proposal was approved, and the new tax will be levied from January 1, 2025, from all betting shops. At the same time, all winnings will fall under this law, regardless of their amount. The government expects the changes to bring an additional inflow of money to the state budget. 

This is due to the huge surge in the popularity of betting shops and online casinos among young people in Zimbabwe. The number of betting shops is constantly growing in the country, so the government has decided to tighten the conditions for their operation. 

This approach may reduce the growth of popularity among players, but you should not hope for it too much. Gambling operators simplify the registration procedure as much as possible and give bonuses to newcomers to ensure the inflow of clients. For example, one of the most popular bookmakers in Zimbabwe, judging by search queries, is Melbet. Its site interface allows you to quickly create a Melbet account, deposit it, and, after 2 minutes, play slots or bet on sports. 

New tax

Now, players place bets but do not pay tax on winnings. In theory, this is income that should be subject to personal income tax. It was decided to shift this responsibility to the owners of betting shops. They should deduct the amount from the winning bet and send it to the Zimbabwean budget. This practice is now actively spreading in many countries. 

The government hopes that this measure will bring significant tax deductions to the budget. The money can be spent on various sectors and thus develop the economy. At the same time, no accurate statistical data and expected results have been provided. 

Reform of gambling regulation

For several years, the country has been reforming the regulation of the gambling sector and fighting illegal casinos. More recently, a bill was passed that deals with gambling and lotteries. Strengthened measures to comply with the legislation were taken as a basis. Also, the government will organize various activities to prevent gambling addiction among the population. 

The new amendments also concerned the renaming of the body that regulates gambling. Now, it is the Zimbabwe Gambling Regulatory Authority. In this case, the new body has additional powers that allow it to ensure compliance with all legal requirements. The Authority will conduct various inspections, deal with tax collection, and so on.

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