Botswana Issues Ten Bookmaker Licences as Gambling Sector Expands

The Botswana Gambling Authority (GA) has awarded ten new bookmaker licences, signalling a significant step forward in the development and regulation of the country’s gambling industry.

Out of the ten licence recipients, six have already launched operations, one has withdrawn, and the remaining three are expected to begin trading soon.

According to the GA, over 400 jobs have been created so far through a combination of casino developments and the newly licensed betting operators. Future growth projections indicate that the sector could support as many as 2,300 jobs across casinos, betting shops, and Limited Payout Machines (LPMs).

One of the licensed operators, BetXplosion, has pledged to dedicate a minimum of 5% of its annual Gross Gambling Revenue to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects. These efforts will focus on initiatives related to youth development, education, sports, and public health awareness.

Marvin Torto, chairman of the GA Board, highlighted the authority’s new regulatory approach:

“As part of our repositioning strategy as a facilitative regulator, we are intensifying stakeholder engagement, developing Botswana gambling standards and proactively working to reduce regulatory hurdles.”

Torto also urged BetXplosion to embrace innovation in its compliance efforts:

“We implore BetXplosion to go further by embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based monitoring tools to detect irregular player behaviour patterns, flag potential problem gambling, and generate early-warning indicators for AML concerns. Leveraging AI will enhance your ability to protect both your business and your customers, and align with global best practices in gambling regulation.”

In other gambling licencing news, Slotegrator has shared insights on becoming licensed in Africa.