Gaming Licence Fees in Tanzania
A Tanzanian gaming licence is not one fee but a schedule: an application fee, a licence fee that may be annual, per location or per month, and in some cases a GBT levy on top. The fee depends on the licence type and, for casinos and forty-machine sites, on whether the premises are in Dar es Salaam or another region. This guide explains the main commercial fees, the tenure of each licence, and what Rehema's slot shop in Mwanza would pay.
The short answer: Gaming licence fees depend on the licence type and are paid to the Gaming Board of Tanzania; the application fee and annual fee are separate. Check the Board's current fee schedule and tenure for the licence you need.
Filed under Tanzania Gaming Tax
Maintained by David M at Delta Tech Solutions · Figures last checked 20 October 2026 · Next check due 20 April 2027
Content updated 21 October 2026
The 31 licence types
GBT licenses 31 categories, from a casino or internet sports betting to a key employee, a manufacturer or a promotional lottery. They fall into three practical groups: commercial gaming licences (casino, sports betting, lottery, slots, virtual games, bingo, pool betting), employee and support licences, and one-off permissions such as a promotional lottery or prize competition.
Commercial licences are annual and renewable, with two exceptions: the National Lottery licence runs for eight years, and a key gaming employee licence for two years. The application is lodged through GLICA, the Gaming Licensing, Inspection and Compliance Application.
Application fee versus licence fee
The application fee is paid once, when the licence is applied for. The licence fee is the recurring charge and is usually annual. The distinction matters for budgeting: the first year includes both, while renewal includes only the licence fee and any levy.
| Licence | Application | Licence fee | Levy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino — Dar es Salaam | 1,000,000 | 110,000,000 a year | — |
| Casino — other regions | 1,000,000 | 60,000,000 a year | — |
| Internet casino | 1,000,000 | 110,000,000 a year | — |
| Principal sports betting | 500,000 | 90,000,000 a year | — |
| Internet sports betting | 1,000,000 | 90,000,000 a year | — |
| National lottery | 1,000,000 | 140,000,000 a year | 2% of GGR monthly |
| Forty machines — Dar es Salaam | 100,000 | 4,000,000 a year | — |
| Slot machine / route — shop | 100,000 | 500,000 a year | 10,000 per machine/month |
| Virtual games — online | 500,000 | 30,000,000 a year | 5% of GGR monthly |
Regional rates and per-machine levies
A Dar es Salaam casino pays 110,000,000 TZS a year, while the same licence elsewhere pays 60,000,000 TZS. Forty-machine sites follow the same pattern: 4,000,000 TZS in Dar es Salaam against 2,000,000 TZS elsewhere. The application fee is unchanged by region.
Slot machine and route licences are different again: the licence fee is modest, but the GBT levy is TZS 10,000 per machine per month. A forty-machine route therefore pays 4,800,000 TZS a year in levy alone, on top of the licence and TRA's TZS 100,000 per machine per month gaming tax.
Virtual games in premises are priced per location rather than per licence: 50,000 TZS to apply and 100,000 TZS a year for each location. Promotional lotteries are priced per month below a TZS 5m budget and as 6% of the budget at or above it; prize competitions are 10% of the promotional budget.
Levies that sit on top
Some licences carry a GBT levy that is separate from the licence fee. The national lottery carries 2% of GGR, virtual games 5% of GGR, and bingo 5% of GGR, all paid monthly. Pool betting carries 10% of the bet amount, and slots TZS 10,000 per machine per month.
Those levies are not the same as TRA's gaming tax on GGR. A national lottery operator pays both: 20% of GGR to TRA and 2% of GGR to the GBT levy. The calculator shows the levy rate but does not add a GGR-based levy to the total, because it does not ask for GGR; use the gaming tax calculator for that figure.
A worked example: Rehema's slot shop in Mwanza
The slot shop licence has a 100,000 TZS application fee and a 500,000 TZS annual licence fee. The first-year total is 5,400,000 TZS; renewal is 5,300,000 TZS. The GBT levy is 4,800,000 TZS: TZS 10,000 per machine per month × 40 machines × 12 months.
The licence fee itself is only 500,000 TZS; the levy is the larger number. That is why a slot-route budget that counts only the licence fee understates the first-year cost by millions of shillings.
If Rehema operates under a principal slot or route licence, that principal licence is a separate 30,000,000 TZS annual fee. The site licence and the principal licence are not alternatives; the principal licensee is the one that holds the route, and the site is licensed under it.
How to apply
Applications are lodged through GLICA. GBT publishes the licence procedures and the forms; the application fee is paid with the application, and the licence fee follows once the licence is granted. The guide does not promise a processing time, because GBT does not publish a binding one.
Common mistakes
The errors that most often distort a licence budget:
- Adding the application fee to every year's budget. It is one-off; renewal is the licence fee plus any levy.
- Using the Dar es Salaam casino or forty-machine rate for a premises in another region.
- Forgetting the per-machine GBT levy on slot routes, or the GGR-based levy on the national lottery and virtual games.
- Treating the GBT licence fee as a substitute for TRA's gaming tax. They are separate charges with separate returns.
Tanzania Gaming Licence Fee Calculator
Try it with your own numbers:
Results are estimates provided for information only and do not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Related guides
Gaming Licence Fees in Tanzania FAQs
How much does a casino licence cost in Tanzania?
A Dar es Salaam casino is 1,000,000 TZS to apply and 110,000,000 TZS a year; elsewhere it is 1,000,000 TZS to apply and 60,000,000 TZS a year. The licence fee is annual and renewable.
Is the application fee refundable if the licence is refused?
The published schedule does not say the application fee is refundable. Budget it as a sunk cost of applying, not as a deposit on the licence.
Do slot machine licences pay per machine?
The licence fee is per licence, but the GBT levy is TZS 10,000 per machine per month, and TRA's gaming tax is TZS 100,000 per machine per month. The per-machine cost is therefore the larger part of the bill.
Does the licence fee include the gaming tax?
No. The GBT licence fee is separate from TRA's gaming tax on GGR and winnings. A licence does not prepay either tax.