TLDR An audit found Ethiopian betting operators owe Br27.5 billion in unpaid obligations. Operators handled close to Br199 billion in wagers between July 2022 and December 2025. Only Br3.6 billion of Br30 billion in assessed commissions was actually paid. Dash Betting owes the largest share at Br8.64 billion. The Ethiopian Lottery Service plans a unified digital platform to track operator obligations in real time.
Ethiopia is moving to reform its sports betting and digital lottery industry. The decision follows a draft audit that found billions of birr in unpaid debts from licensed operators.
The investigation was reported by Fana Broadcasting Corporate. It covers the period between July 2022 and December 2025, when the Ethiopian Lottery Service suspended all betting licenses.
During that stretch, betting companies handled close to Br199 billion in wagers. That is a large amount of money moving through the system in just over three years.
Despite this volume, only Br3.6 billion of the roughly Br30 billion in assessed commissions was actually paid. That leaves a gap of Br27.5 billion.
The unpaid balance is not limited to commissions alone. It also includes penalties, registration charges, and license renewal fees owed by operators.
Dash Betting holds the largest single debt. The company alone accounts for Br8.64 billion of the total shortfall.
Roughly ten other firms owe a combined amount close to Br19 billion. Together, these companies make up most of the remaining debt.
Beza Girma, CEO of the Ethiopian Lottery Service, confirmed the audit findings. He said the review was meant to establish the true financial state of the industry.
Girma added that the results would shape reforms already underway. Legal recovery measures are expected to follow once the audit is finished.
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