The Addis Ababa Peace and Security Office has announced the closure of 3,241 sports betting houses in Addis Ababa.
In its statement regarding sports betting houses, the bureau announced that action has been taken against 3,241 sports betting houses that were operating illegally.
The betting game has caused serious problems for the city administration and the socio-economic life of the people on a daily basis, the office said in its statement.
The bureau closed down the sports betting houses as they were causing harm to the younger generation beyond the scope of sports betting.
Due to the high crime rate, the youth of the city are spending their time in the wrong places. They are working without proper authorization, leading to a destructive impact on human life. Additionally, students are being drawn away from their studies, hindering the teaching and learning process.
The bureau added in its statement that the National Lottery Management Act stipulates that sports betting houses must be not located within a 200-meter radius of an educational institution, and minors under the age of 21 should not be present at the site.
The action to close down the sports betting houses was taken after surveillance was conducted by the Addis Ababa City Administration Peace and Security Office, the National Lottery Administration, Addis Ababa City Administration Police Commission, and Addis Ababa City Regulation Enforcement Officials.
While action has been taken against illegal sports betting houses in Addis Ababa, sports betting in general has not been banned in Ethiopia.
Recently, there were rumors circulating on social media about a ban on betting, but the National Lottery Administration clarified that this information is completely false and that any information about sports betting should only be obtained from the National Lottery Administration.
The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs had previously announced that it is working towards a ban on sports betting.
The institution believes that betting is a form of gambling that poses many risks to youth and teenagers.
However, the National Lottery Administration has stated that “betting” is a profitable industry and does not consider it as “gambling”, as many people are employed in this sector.
The National Lottery Administration has stated that guidelines for responsible betting have been issued and are currently being worked on. They emphasize the importance of playing responsibly.
The responsible parties have previously stated that it would be better to study whether sports betting has caused a social crisis rather than imposing a ban, and to implement proper monitoring in order to prevent undeserving individuals from participating.
More than 500 sports betting houses are legally registered and operating in Ethiopia, contributing millions in taxes to the government.”
