According to the economic and social balance of the implementation of the State Budget for the first three quarters of the year, the revenue achieved corresponds to just 25.7 per cent of the target set for 2024, which was around 1.2 billion meticals (19.2 million dollars). By way of comparison, in the same period in 2023, casinos had contributed 281 million meticals (4.4 million dollars).
The Special Tax on Gambling, which is applied to the gross revenues of concessionaires, applies progressive rates according to the length of the concession contract: 20 per cent for concessions of up to 14 years, 25 per cent for concessions of up to 19 years, 30 per cent for terms of between 20 and 24 years and 35 per cent for concessions of between 25 and 30 years.
In addition, concessionaires must pay stamp duty, which is 50 per cent of the value of entrance tickets to casinos, although they are exempt from other taxes on operating profits and import duties on goods and equipment intended exclusively for gambling activities.
The gambling sector in Mozambique has five concessions, located in the cities of Maputo, Beira, Tete, Nampula, Matola and Pemba. These concessions, considered strategic by the government, have resulted in investments of 2.3 billion meticals (36 million dollars), according to the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi. On 8 August, the head of state stressed that these investments are ‘a highlight in the tourism chain’.
According to the National Directorate of Gambling, concessionaires must have a minimum share capital of 173 million meticals (2.7 million dollars) and make an investment of at least 352 million meticals (5.5 million dollars) within five years of starting operations.
Despite the year-on-year growth in tax revenue collected by casinos, 2024’s performance fell short of that recorded in 2023. Last year, total revenue from this tax increased by 21.9 per cent to 371 million meticals (5.7 million dollars).
Even so, the contribution from casino taxes accounted for just 0.1 per cent of all state revenue in the period under review, highlighting the need to strengthen strategies so that this segment has a more significant impact on meeting the fiscal targets set by the government.
