At least 48 casinos operated ilegally in Zambia in 2017

The Auditor General’s Office revealed that 48 casinos were found operating without licences last year and evaded €37k worth of fees.

Zambia.- The gaming industry is one of the main contributors to state coffers wherever it’s properly regulated and that’s why governments take control over unlicenced operations very seriously. The Auditor General’s Office of Zambia did its own research and reported 48 casinos were found operating illegally, as it showed in its latest audit of the accounts of the Zambian government for the year ended 2017.

The Zambian authorities require casino operators to obtain a licence from the Ministry to enable them, as it is written on the Tourism and Hospitality (Casino) Regulations No. 93 of 2016. However, at least 48 venues were operating without the proper permits which resulted in a €37k loss of revenue for the state in unpaid licence fees.

“Although amounts totalling €164k were remitted as 20% of the net monthly earnings, it was not possible to ascertain whether this was the amount that should have been remitted in the absence of audited annual returns. Further, seven casino operators did not remit to the Ministry the required 20% of net monthly earnings,” the government’s report stated.