In the first half of 2025, Angola's gambling tax revenue saw a year-on-year surge of 64.2%, reaching 13.23 billion Kwanzas (approximately 14.5 million USD), which has already exceeded 74.6% of the total tax revenue for the year 2024. With the current growth rate, gambling tax revenue is expected to double by the end of the year, becoming a "dark horse" in national fiscal revenue.
According to data from the gambling regulatory authority ISJ cited by "Expansão", this growth is mainly due to the "Special Gambling Tax (IEJ)", which accounts for 73.2% of the total tax revenue, with the remaining about 24% coming from the taxation of prize amounts. The IEJ taxes the gambling revenue and prize amounts of operators, which is essentially an indirect tax derived from the betting amounts of players. Of the 13.23 billion Kwanzas, 98% is paid by gambling companies, with a smaller tax contribution from the winnings of players.
It is expected that the gambling tax revenue in 2025 will exceed the government's annual target for this tax type (22.24 billion Kwanzas) set in the "National Financial Budget", with 59% already achieved in half a year. Nevertheless, gambling tax only accounts for 0.06% of the total national tax revenue, still holding great potential.
Online Gambling Becomes a New Engine of Growth
The driving force behind this growth is no longer limited to traditional casinos and offline betting stations; online gambling platforms are becoming the "game changers" in the industry. In the first half of 2025, online gambling (including online sports betting and online casinos) contributed approximately 5.7 billion Kwanzas to gambling tax revenue, accounting for 43%.
Among these, digital platform sports betting is particularly active, far exceeding traditional offline betting stations. The market share of traditional lottery-style sports betting has decreased by 3 percentage points to 38%. Meanwhile, the revenue share of casino-style gambling (such as slot machines and table games) has increased from 10% to 18.4%, indicating a diversification of the gambling market.
Against a Background of High Unemployment, Gambling Becomes a "New Favorite" Among Young People
With Angola's sluggish economic growth and a high unemployment rate of 32%, young people are particularly affected. In such an environment, gambling has become a channel for many to entertain and fantasize about a "counterattack". Regulatory data shows that the main force behind this gambling craze is the digital natives—the younger generation.
As a counter-cyclical growth industry, the gambling industry is profitable and expanding rapidly. In the second quarter of 2025, Angola had a total of 24 approved operators, including 11 online gambling companies, 10 casino enterprises, and 3 offline social game operators.
Multiple Government Fees Support the Treasury
In addition to the main gambling taxes such as IEJ, the Angolan government also collects additional revenue of 1.87 billion Kwanzas through supplementary regulatory fees, such as operating license fees, regulatory fees, and fines, further enriching the national treasury.
"Sweet Trap" and Industry Challenges
The rapid growth of gambling tax revenue undoubtedly alleviates fiscal pressure, but it also raises many concerns. Is the economy overly dependent on gambling, this "accidental fortune"? Lacking sufficient social supervision and educational guidance, could the gambling industry evolve into a "negative growth trap" for economically vulnerable groups?
Currently, Angola's gambling industry is still in a bonus period. How to guide its healthy and sustainable development has become an unavoidable issue for the government and public policy.
For the Chinese community in Angola, this represents both a potential investment opportunity and a need to be highly vigilant about the social risks and hidden concerns behind the rapid expansion of the gambling industry.
