Botswana National Lottery could launch by end-2026, regulator says
Botswana’s gambling regulator says the long-delayed national lottery may finally move forward this year, with talks now underway to restore the project.
Botswana.- Botswana’s Gambling Authority says the country’s National Lottery could launch before the end of 2026, months after the original licensing process was halted. Moruntshi Kemorwale, acting chief executive, told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises that the regulator has restarted work linked to the project and expects progress in the coming months.
The update follows uncertainty in Botswana’s gambling sector after the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship cancelled the country’s first national lottery licence, previously awarded to Ithuba Botswana. Reports at the time linked the cancellation to concerns over the procurement process and negotiations surrounding the licence agreement.
Kemorwale told lawmakers that the Gambling Authority is facilitating negotiations aimed at restoring the project. Local reports indicate that discussions have resumed with the preferred consortium for a proposed 10-year licence, with authorities expected to determine within about three months whether a formal agreement can be concluded.
According to the regulator, the suspension of the lottery has also disrupted revenue collection for Botswana’s National Lottery Fund. Kemorwale said the absence of lottery operations has reduced funding for sports, arts and community programmes that were expected to benefit from proceeds generated by ticket sales.
Botswana had planned to launch its first national lottery after years of regulatory preparation. However, the process became tied up in legal disputes and administrative reviews before the government withdrew support for the initial agreement in 2025.
Kemorwale indicated that the authority remains committed to ensuring the project is delivered in a transparent and compliant manner, adding that revised processes are being put in place to avoid delays experienced during the initial licensing phase. He noted that stakeholder engagement will be central to finalising the new framework for the lottery’s rollout.
