If you ask any fan in Dar es Salaam what they bet on, the answer will most likely be short: “the ball”. But behind this word lies a whole hierarchy of preferences: clubs, leagues, disciplines and betting formats that, year after year, form the real picture of sports betting in Tanzania. Gwala Bet TZ, the country’s first bookmaker wholly owned by Tanzanian citizens, has been operating since 2007 under a licence from the Gaming Board of Tanzania (number SBI000000044) and offers more than 30 sports with over 1,500 daily events. Its offering reflects what is really interesting to the local audience.
Football: 60–70% of All Bets on Betting Sites in Tanzania
Football is the absolute leader in sports betting in Tanzania, consistently accounting for 60 to 70% of all bets. This is immediately apparent on Gwala Bet: the football section includes more than 1,000 matches daily — from the local NBC Tanzania Premier League (Ligi Kuu Bara) to leading European tournaments.
The local championship occupies a special place. Matches involving Young Africans (Yanga SC) and Simba SC — the country’s two main clubs and main rivals in Tanzanian football — generate the most betting traffic among all domestic events. High odds and live betting options for these matches are available directly on the platform.
International content is not far behind: the English Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League. Markets for each match cover the winner (1X2), double chance, exact score, total goals, both teams to score, and dozens of other options.
Basketball: 10 to 15% of the Market
Basketball has confidently taken second place among Tanzanian fans’ preferences, with an estimated 10-15% share of bets. Gwala Bet offers more than 150 basketball events daily: the NBA remains the main attraction, followed by the EuroLeague and other international tournaments.
Markets include match winner, total points (over/under), handicap, first half statistics and bets on specific players. The NBA playoffs and finals attract particularly high interest: the pace of the game, which is unusual for Africa, and the recognisable names of the stars act as a magnet for younger audiences.
Cricket: A Growing Discipline
Cricket has not historically been the focus of betting sites in Tanzania, but in recent years the situation has been changing — its share in betting is estimated at 8–12%. The main catalyst for growth has been the participation of the Tanzanian national team in ICC qualifying tournaments and the growing interest in T20 formats, which are convenient for betting due to their short playing cycle.
Gwala Bet offers both pre-match and live cricket betting. The ICC World Cup, T20 championships and regional tournaments are available. Live betting in cricket is particularly valuable: each over changes the situation and opens up new opportunities for betting with dynamic odds.
Tennis: 5–8% of the Audience and Major Tournaments
Tennis accounts for a stable 5–8% of Tanzanians’ betting activity. Demand is concentrated around major international events such as Wimbledon, the US Open, Roland Garros and the Australian Open. Gwala Bet offers more than 150 tennis events every day, making this sport one of the most represented on the platform.
Gwala Bet markets include match winner, total games and sets, game and set handicap, and exact set score bets. Tennis is characterised by highly detailed live markets: odds change after each rally, creating a wide field for real-time betting.
Boxing: Local Pride and World Fights
Boxing occupies a special niche on betting sites in Tanzania, going beyond purely sporting interest. The country has a rich boxing history, and bets on professional fights — both local and international — are consistently in demand. At Gwala Bet, boxing is available with markets for the winner of the fight, the method of victory (knockout, technical decision, referee decision) and the total number of rounds.
Major world cards play an important role: WBA, WBC and IBF title fights attract the attention of a wide audience beyond regular fans. High single odds on boxing underdogs attract those looking for non-standard options beyond the usual football.
Rugby: 3–6% and a Growing Audience
Rugby rounds out the top five most popular sports for betting on betting sites Tanzania with a share of 3–6%. Rugby matches are available with the main winner markets. Interest in the sport is partly fuelled by international broadcasts and Rugby World Cup matches, which reach a wide audience.
eSports: A Young and Rapidly Growing Niche
eSports on Gwala Bet are highlighted in a separate section with seven disciplines:
- CS:GO / CS2;
- Dota 2 — including The International;
- League of Legends and King of Glory;
- StarCraft 2 and Valorant.
Live streaming of major tournaments is available directly on the platform. Bets are accepted both pre-match and live, with markets for match winner, total cards and handicap.
What Determines Tanzanians’ Choice of Gwala Bet
The picture of sporting preferences on betting sites in Tanzania reflects the real structure of the country’s interests: football as the absolute dominant, basketball and cricket as growing areas, boxing and tennis as stable niches. The platform makes betting accessible via the Weka/Toa Pesa mobile wallet — supported by Airtel, Vodacom and Tigo networks — with a minimum deposit of 500 TZS. The live section with real-time statistics and virtual match display works for all major disciplines.
For local fans, this means one thing: whatever sport they bet on — from the Yanga vs. Simba derby to a world title fight or The International final — Gwala Bet covers it all in one place, on one licensed platform.