Botswana shares bookmaker licensing experience with Namibia
Botswana’s Gambling Authority reported higher betting revenue, fewer illegal gambling accounts and lower problem gambling prevalence.
Key takeaways:
- Botswana’s Gambling Authority shared its bookmaker-licensing experience with Namibia at a Gambling Board of Namibia workshop in Windhoek.
- Namibia is moving to regulate and licence betting, and the workshop covered licensing requirements under its Gaming and Entertainment Control Act, 2018.
- Illegal gambling accounts in Botswana fell from more than one million before licensing to approximately 40,000.
- Problem gambling prevalence in Botswana fell from 5 per cent in 2020 to 3.4 per cent in 2025, while the Gambling Authority stressed that industry growth must advance alongside player protection.
- Namibia’s Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel called for fair, consistent licensing decisions without preferential treatment.
Botswana.- Botswana’s Gambling Authority (GA) shared its bookmaker-licensing experience with Namibia, offering guidance on strengthening regulatory oversight, protecting players and bringing illegal gambling activity into a regulated environment as the country moves towards a licensed betting market. The collaboration featured at the Gambling Board of Namibia’s (GBN) Industry Consultation Workshop on the Licensing of Bookmakers and Totalizators, held at NIPAM in Windhoek. At the meeting, Gambling Authority CEO Moruntshi Kemorwale reported that Botswana’s betting revenue rose from BWP240m (US$18m) to BWP1.3bn (US$97.4m), with BWP1.5bn (US$112.4m)projected for the current financial year.
The workshop covered licensing requirements under Namibia’s Gaming and Entertainment Control Act, 2018, including application investigations and technical assessments of betting platforms. Environment, Forestry and Tourism Minister Indileni Daniel called for fair, consistent licensing decisions without preferential treatment, while GBN chairperson Ben Shikongo highlighted regulatory directives and best practices across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Botswana GA said: “By sharing its learnings and regulatory experience, GA is helping its regional peers navigate reform, translating Botswana’s progress into practical knowledge that can strengthen safeguards elsewhere.”
Kemorwale and Gambling Authority chief operations officer Mopati Rammekwa were invited to share Botswana’s bookmaker-licensing experience at the workshop, as Namibia takes steps to regularise and license betting.
Kemorwale also reported that illegal gambling accounts in Botswana had declined from more than one million before licensing to approximately 40,000. Problem gambling prevalence fell from 5 per cent in 2020 to 3.4 per cent in 2025. “Behind these figures lies a powerful lesson: industry growth must advance alongside player protection,” the authority said.
The engagement reflects the Gambling Authority’s commitment to collaboration with regulators and industry partners worldwide, with responsible gambling at the heart of its mandate.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- What is Namibia doing about bookmaker licensing? Namibia is moving to regularise and licence betting. The Gambling Board of Namibia held a workshop on licensing bookmakers and totalizators, covering requirements under the Gaming and Entertainment Control Act, 2018, application investigations and technical assessments of betting platforms.
- How much has Botswana’s betting revenue grown? Botswana’s betting revenue rose from BWP 240m to BWP 1.3bn, according to the Gambling Authority’s CEO. The authority projects BWP 1.5 billion for the current financial year.
- How have illegal gambling accounts in Botswana changed? Illegal gambling accounts fell from more than one million before licensing to approximately 40,000, according to the Gambling Authority.
- Has problem gambling changed in Botswana? Problem gambling prevalence fell from 5 per cent in 2020 to 3.4 per cent in 2025, according to the authority’s figures.
