📲 What is EcoCash?

EcoCash is Zimbabwe’s best-known mobile money service, launched by the Econet group. It lets you keep money in a wallet linked to your phone number, send money, pay bills and merchants, buy airtime and cash in or out at agents. You reach it by dialling *151#, which opens the main EcoCash menu, or through the EcoCash app.

In May 2026, EcoCash launched a “Super App” developed by Sasai Fintech, a Cassava Technologies business, combining payments, chat and content in one app, CITE reported. It lets you send and receive money, pay bills and “pay at shops and vendors using QR codes”. The *151# menu still works on any phone, without data.

USD and ZiG wallets

EcoCash runs separate wallets for US dollars and for Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), and fees and taxes differ between them. Many bookmakers pay out in US dollars; Africabet, for example, has long taken deposits from EcoCash FCA (USD) accounts and paid winnings in USD, Sportscast reported. Check which currency your betting account uses and pay from the matching wallet, or you may pay conversion costs or have the payment rejected.

⚖️ Is online betting with EcoCash legal in Zimbabwe?

Gambling in Zimbabwe is regulated by the Lotteries and Gaming Board under the Lotteries and Gaming Act. The LGB’s published list of licensed operators shows 250 operators, mostly bookmakers’ premises, with addresses but no licence numbers. The Act itself has no specific provisions for online gambling, and the LGB has described the law as “insufficient”, NewsDay reported. The Cabinet approved principles for an amendment, including a new Gaming Regulatory Authority, in August 2024, Business Times reported, and the LGB said amendments were still in progress in 2025, according to FocusGN.

In practice, licensed local bookmakers run online sites alongside their shops, while offshore sites also target Zimbabwean players. The government has said it is cracking down on unlicensed local gambling and on offshore operators offering online services, The Herald reported in 2026. Penalties under the Act include fines and imprisonment.

What the LGB list shows

Source: Lotteries and Gaming Board operator list (lgb.co.zw), checked for AffSupreme’s Zimbabwe casino guide in November 2026. Casino licences require a hotel with at least 50 rooms and a US$50,000 bank guarantee, Business Times reported.

Bookmakers on the list, such as Africabet, also run online sites and accept EcoCash. The list confirms their licensed premises, but not their websites.

How to check a bookmaker

1. Look for the operator on the LGB’s list of licensed operators at lgb.co.zw.
2. Check it has physical premises in Zimbabwe you can visit.
3. Check the website matches the licensed company: the company name and address in its terms should match the LGB list.
4. Check it deducts the 25% tax on winnings, which licensed operators must remit to ZIMRA.
5. Contact the LGB if you’re unsure; it publishes contact details on its website.

Questions to ask before you deposit

1. Is the company on the LGB list? Ask for the name of the licensed company and check it.
2. Where are its shops? A real local operator has premises you can visit.
3. Which currency is my account in? USD or ZiG decides which wallet to pay from.
4. Does it charge deposit or withdrawal fees? FocusGN advises checking before you sign up.
5. Does it deduct the 25% tax? A local licensed operator should.
6. How do I set limits or close my account? A responsible operator will tell you.

👍 Pros and cons of EcoCash for betting

📋 Before your first EcoCash deposit

1. Register your EcoCash account and set your PIN.
2. Decide on USD or ZiG to match your betting account.
3. Cash in at an agent; cash-in is free.
4. Use the same number on your betting account and your EcoCash wallet.
5. Set a deposit limit on your betting account.
6. Know the costs: the merchant fee and IMTT on deposits, and the 25% tax on winnings.

📲 How to deposit with EcoCash: step by step

Method 1: from the bookmaker’s cashier

This is the most common method, as described in FocusGN’s guide to Zimbabwean betting sites:

1. Sign in to your betting account.
2. Open Deposit and select EcoCash.
3. Enter the amount, in the currency your account uses.
4. Enter your EcoCash number.
5. Approve the payment on your phone by entering your EcoCash PIN when the prompt appears. FocusGN notes that some platforms ask for an SMS confirmation or one-time PIN instead.
6. Wait for the EcoCash SMS, then check your betting balance.

Method 2: from the *151# menu

1. Get the payment details from the bookmaker’s cashier or official site: its merchant code and the reference to use (often your account number or phone number).
2. Dial *151# to open the EcoCash menu.
3. Choose the payment option for paying a merchant, and enter the merchant code.
4. Enter the amount and the reference.
5. Check the merchant name on the confirmation screen matches the bookmaker.
6. Enter your PIN and keep the SMS receipt.

EcoCash’s menu wording and numbering change from time to time, so follow the labels on screen. TechZim noted in 2017 that EcoCash also supports long codes that jump straight to a payment, which some merchants publish.

Method 3: from the EcoCash app

The EcoCash Super App, launched in May 2026, lets you pay merchants, including by scanning a QR code where a merchant offers one. Open the app, choose the payment option, scan or enter the merchant details, enter the amount and confirm with your PIN.

🏪 Topping up your EcoCash wallet

Before you can deposit at a bookmaker, you need money in your EcoCash wallet. You can cash in at an EcoCash agent, which is free according to ZimPriceCheck, or receive money from someone else. When you cash in:

1. Go to an agent and say how much you want to deposit, and into which wallet (USD or ZiG).
2. Give the agent your EcoCash number and the cash.
3. Wait for the SMS confirming the money is in your wallet before you leave.
4. Never give the agent your PIN. You don’t need it to receive money.

⚖️ EcoCash vs other ways to deposit

EcoCash is usually the most convenient. Cash at a licensed shop avoids mobile money fees altogether, and it has another advantage: you’re dealing with premises that appear on the LGB’s list.

💵 USD or ZiG: which wallet should you use?

Sources: ZimPriceCheck (tariffs as of August 2026); The Herald (IMTT changes, 2026 budget).

Pay from the wallet that matches your betting account’s currency. If you’re unsure, check the currency shown in the bookmaker’s cashier before you confirm.

💸 What an EcoCash betting deposit costs

Two charges can apply when you pay a bookmaker from your USD wallet: EcoCash’s merchant payment fee (1.4%, according to ZimPriceCheck’s August 2026 tariffs) and the IMTT (2% on USD transfers over US$5). ZimPriceCheck says the IMTT applies to sends and merchant-type transfers, not to cash-in or cash-out. Here’s what that could add up to, assuming both apply to a merchant payment; check your confirmation screen for the exact charge:

EcoCash’s own notice in 2023 said the IMTT “only applies to transactions higher than US$5”, ZimPriceCheck reported, so a US$5 payment shouldn’t attract it. Some bookmakers absorb deposit fees, but most don’t publish their policy, so look at the amount debited in your SMS.

Ways to keep costs down: keep your total deposits within your budget; avoid moving money back and forth between your wallet and your betting account; and leave winnings in your wallet to spend rather than cashing out, which costs 1.7%.

📏 Limits to know

• EcoCash USD sends: capped at US$500 per transaction, according to ZimPriceCheck.
• IMTT cap: capped at US$10,150 on transactions above US$500,000, which won’t affect normal betting deposits.
• Bookmaker minimums: they vary; FocusGN says some sites, such as betPawa, may accept deposits of “just a dollar or two”, while others set higher minimums.
• Daily and monthly limits: FocusGN notes there are daily and monthly transaction limits; check yours in the EcoCash app or with Econet.

🧾 The 25% tax on betting winnings

Zimbabwe’s 2026 budget, presented on 28 November 2025, raised the tax on gambling winnings from 10% to 25% and the tax on bookmakers’ revenue from 3% to 20%, both from 1 January 2026, FocusGN reported. The Herald says the new taxes apply to betting, casino and lottery, online and offline, and that operators file and pay monthly to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) through its TaRMS system. The winnings tax is a final tax, withheld at source by the operator.

The US$250 example follows Equity Axis. Our sources don’t say whether the tax is calculated on gross winnings or net profit; check the tax line on your bet history.

Putting it together: deposit US$50 by EcoCash (about US$1.70 in fees and IMTT if both apply), win US$100, pay US$25 in tax, and cash out the US$75 at an agent (1.7%, about US$1.28). You’d end with about US$73.72 in cash from a US$100 win. Fees and tax take a real share of small wins.

Bonuses: operators have warned that higher taxes would lead them to cut bonuses, promotions and odds, The Herald reported, and NewsDay noted some players moving to offshore sites. Offshore sites don’t make your winnings safer, as explained below.

How Zimbabwe’s betting taxes changed

Sources: FocusGN (2026 budget; levy); The Herald (IMTT). Operators filed their first returns under the new regime by 5 January 2026 and paid by 10 January, Zawya reported.

The 2% bookmaker levy funds community development, with 1.8% going to community projects through the LGB, FocusGN reported; we found no record that the proposed increase had been adopted when we checked.

🧮 Three worked examples

A US$5 deposit

You deposit US$5 from your USD wallet. The IMTT doesn’t apply, because it’s only charged above US$5. The merchant fee of 1.4% would be about US$0.07 if charged. You place a few small bets and win US$12: the 25% tax leaves you US$9.

A US$100 deposit and a good win

You deposit US$100, paying up to about US$3.40 in fees and IMTT. You win US$400 on an accumulator. The bookmaker withholds US$100 in tax, so US$300 reaches your account. You withdraw it to EcoCash and pay a bill and some shopping directly from your wallet, avoiding the 1.7% cash-out fee.

Chasing losses

You deposit US$20 five times in one evening after losing each time: US$100 in total, plus up to about US$3.40 in fees and IMTT. The fees aren’t the real problem; the US$100 is. If you’ve deposited more than once in a session to win back losses, stop and come back another day.

💳 Withdrawing winnings to EcoCash

1. Verify your betting account with your ID before you need to withdraw.
2. Open Withdraw and choose EcoCash.
3. Enter the amount, within the bookmaker’s limits.
4. Confirm your EcoCash number: it should be your own, the one registered on your betting account.
5. Wait for the EcoCash SMS. You don’t need to enter your PIN to receive money.
6. Decide whether to cash out. Cashing out costs 1.7%; paying bills such as ZESA or airtime from your wallet is free, according to ZimPriceCheck.

FocusGN advises checking whether a site charges fees on payouts before you sign up.

🛠️ When an EcoCash deposit goes wrong

🆘 Getting help from EcoCash

EcoCash offers self-service options for common problems. The Herald reported that customers can reset their PIN and request reversals of money sent to the wrong recipient by dialling *150# or through the EcoCash Selfcare Web Portal (selfcare.ecocash.co.zw), which needs a once-off registration. Failed ZESA token purchases are reversed automatically, usually in under 10 minutes.

For a payment to a bookmaker that didn’t credit your account, start with the bookmaker, since the money reached its merchant account. Give them:

• the EcoCash transaction ID from your SMS;
• the amount, date and time;
• your betting account number or username;
• a screenshot of the SMS, if they ask.

If you paid the wrong merchant code, contact EcoCash as soon as possible with the transaction details.

🚫 Offshore sites that accept EcoCash

Some offshore betting and casino sites accept EcoCash from Zimbabwean players. FocusGN’s guide distinguishes local sites, “regulated right here in Zim”, from international ones that are “licensed overseas”. Licences from Curaçao or other jurisdictions aren’t LGB licences, so a Zimbabwean regulator can’t help you if a withdrawal is refused. The Herald reports that the government is cracking down on offshore operators offering online services in Zimbabwe. Stick to established local bookmakers with LGB-licensed premises.

🔮 What may change: Zimbabwe’s gambling law reform

Zimbabwe’s rules for online betting are likely to change. In August 2024, the Cabinet approved principles for amending the Lotteries and Gaming Act, including replacing the LGB with a new Gaming Regulatory Authority, Business Times reported. In 2025, the LGB said the amendments were still in progress and described work on a Gaming Management System to monitor operators, FocusGN reported. NewsDay reported the LGB’s view that the current law is “insufficient” because it doesn’t cover online gambling.

What could this mean for EcoCash users? If the amendments create an online licence and a public register of licensed websites, it will become much easier to check that the site you’re paying is legal. Until then, the safest approach is to use established local bookmakers with LGB-licensed premises and to keep records of every EcoCash payment.

What an offshore licence does and doesn’t mean

Many international sites that accept EcoCash display a licence from Curaçao, Anjouan or elsewhere. That licence lets them operate under that jurisdiction’s rules, but it isn’t an LGB licence, and it doesn’t give you a Zimbabwean regulator to complain to. If a withdrawal is refused, you’d have to complain to a regulator abroad with no presence in Zimbabwe.

🚨 EcoCash betting scams

• PIN requests: EcoCash, bookmakers and agents will never ask for your PIN.
• “Wrong transfer” messages: someone says they sent you money by mistake and asks for it back. Check your actual balance first.
• Fake merchant codes: use only codes from the bookmaker’s logged-in cashier or official site.
• “Release fee” demands: legitimate bookmakers don’t charge you upfront to release winnings.
• Aviator “predictors” and “sure odds” sellers: they’re scams.
• Fake support accounts on WhatsApp or Facebook: contact support only through the bookmaker’s official site or shop.

🔁 Alternatives to EcoCash

📞 Depositing from a basic phone

Because *151# works without data, you can fund your betting account from any phone, as long as you have the bookmaker’s merchant code and your reference. A few tips:

• Get the merchant code from the bookmaker’s shop or official site, never from social media.
• Prepare before dialling: USSD sessions time out if you take too long.
• Read the confirmation screen for the merchant name and amount.
• Keep the SMS until your balance updates.
• Look for data-light apps: Africabet’s Android app was zero-rated on the Econet network, Sportscast reported, so funded users could bet without data.

🔒 Keeping your EcoCash wallet safe

1. Use a PIN that isn’t your birth year or 1234, and never share it.
2. Lock your phone with a PIN or fingerprint.
3. Check every confirmation screen: merchant name and amount.
4. Report a lost phone to Econet quickly so your SIM and wallet can be blocked.
5. Don’t let others use your wallet for betting: winnings are paid to the registered account holder.
6. Keep betting money separate from money for essentials.

🧮 Budgeting with EcoCash

EcoCash deposits take seconds, which makes it easy to top up again after a loss. Because EcoCash’s fee and the IMTT are percentages, the cost grows with every dollar you move: depositing US$100 a week could cost about US$3.40 a week in merchant fees and IMTT, or roughly US$177 a year, before any tax on winnings. Decide your weekly betting budget in advance, deposit once, and stop when it’s gone. Treat winnings as money you’ve kept, not a new budget.

Crash games deserve special care. Aviator, known locally as “chindege”, has overtaken football betting for many Zimbabwean players because it’s simple and fast, ThisDay reported in May 2026, and The Herald has reported on gambling addiction rising as the industry grows. Fast games plus instant mobile money is a risky combination.

📊 Zimbabwe’s betting market in numbers

• Revenue: the betting industry generated about US$120 million in 2023, with online operations contributing about US$45 million, according to figures cited by FocusGN.
• Online bettors: more than 300,000 active online bettors in 2024, about 60% of them aged 18 to 35.
• Regulator: the LGB reported 2025 revenue of ZiG47.97 million (about US$1.89 million), 29 arrests from joint enforcement operations and 94 illegal gaming machines destroyed under a court order, FocusGN reported.
• Licensed operators: 250 on the LGB list, including 214 bookmakers.

Mobile money is what made online betting grow so fast: it lets anyone with a phone fund an account in seconds. That convenience is also why responsible gambling matters so much.

👪 For parents: young people and EcoCash betting

Young adults are at the centre of Zimbabwe’s betting boom. A qualitative study of 18-to-30-year-olds in Harare, published in the Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa in January 2026, found that youth gambling is “increasing and has caused concern in Zimbabwe”. Betting is for adults only, but mobile money makes it easy for teenagers to use a parent’s or friend’s wallet. If you’re a parent:

• Keep your EcoCash PIN private and your phone locked.
• Watch for unexplained mobile money spending or small, frequent payments to merchants.
• Talk openly about how betting and crash games are designed to make money for the operator.
• Get support: Childline Zimbabwe (116) helps parents as well as young people.

✈️ Aviator, EcoCash and why speed matters

Crash games are where instant mobile money and fast play meet. Aviator, “chindege” to many Zimbabwean players, has overtaken football betting among many players because it’s simple and quick, ThisDay reported in May 2026. The Herald has reported on gambling addiction spiralling as industry profits soar, and The Independent reported the case of a Reserve Bank employee sentenced to three years in prison for stealing US$1,500 and betting it on Aviator.

Each round lasts seconds, and a deposit by EcoCash takes seconds too, so a losing streak can drain a wallet very quickly. If you play crash games:

• Set a session budget and deposit it once.
• Don’t top up mid-session after losses.
• Take regular breaks and set a time limit.
• Never borrow or use money meant for essentials.

❌ Common EcoCash deposit mistakes

1. Paying from the wrong currency wallet (USD vs ZiG).
2. Approving a second prompt while the first payment is still processing.
3. Copying merchant codes from social media.
4. Using a wallet in someone else’s name, which can hold up withdrawals.
5. Forgetting the 25% tax when judging whether a bet is worth it.
6. Cashing out every small win at an agent and paying 1.7% each time.
7. Choosing an offshore site because it advertises EcoCash.

📖 Glossary

• EcoCash: Zimbabwe’s best-known mobile money service, reached on *151#.
• FCA wallet: a foreign currency (USD) EcoCash wallet.
• ZiG: Zimbabwe Gold, the local currency.
• IMTT: Intermediated Money Transfer Tax, charged on electronic transfers.
• Merchant code: the number you pay a business through EcoCash.
• LGB: Lotteries and Gaming Board, Zimbabwe’s gambling regulator.
• ZIMRA: Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, which collects the 25% winnings tax.
• Withheld at source: deducted by the bookmaker before paying you.

🔍 How we researched this guide

We checked the regulatory position against the Lotteries and Gaming Board’s published operator list and reporting by NewsDay, Business Times, FocusGN and The Herald. EcoCash’s codes, fees and limits come from ZimPriceCheck (tariffs as of August 2026), Take App and CITE; the IMTT changes from The Herald; the 25% winnings tax from FocusGN and Equity Axis. Deposit steps follow FocusGN’s guide to Zimbabwean betting sites. We didn’t make our own funded deposits. Where something couldn’t be confirmed, such as EcoCash’s ZiG fee percentages, we say so rather than guess.

✅ Checklist before you deposit with EcoCash

1. Established local bookmaker with LGB-licensed premises?
2. Aged 18 or over?
3. Right wallet: USD or ZiG, matching your account?
4. Merchant code from the official cashier or site?
5. Merchant name checked before entering your PIN?
6. Fees and 25% tax taken into account?
7. Deposit limit set?
8. SMS receipt kept until your balance updates?