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Botswana Parliament Passes Gambling Bill, Keeping Proposal to Lower Legal Age to 18

By jili tutorial · September 4, 2026

Botswana Parliament Passes Gambling Bill, Keeping Proposal to Lower Legal Age to 18

Botswana’s National Assembly has approved the Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2026, preserving a controversial proposal to reduce the legal gambling age from 21 to 18. The bill also updates the regulatory framework for the country’s rapidly expanding gambling sector.

The bill passed its third reading on 13 August, following a second-reading debate and clause-by-clause review during the committee stage. It has not yet received presidential assent or entered into force. If enacted, the bill will amend the Gambling Authority Act (Cap. 19:03). Its provisions would take effect on a date set by the responsible minister through an order published in the Government Gazette.

Age Proposal Sparks Heated Debate

The proposed age reduction was the bill’s most contentious element. Opposition MPs argued during the committee stage that Botswana should maintain the existing minimum age of 21, but the bill passed with Clause 2 intact. That clause would replace all references in the Act to “the age of 21” with “the age of 18.”

Botswana’s current gambling framework sets the legal gambling age at 21. The amendment would align that threshold with the country’s general age of majority, which is 18. Supporters of the change argued that people aged 18 to 20 are already treated as adults in many areas of civic and economic life, and that retaining a separate gambling age could push some toward unlicensed operators.

Parliamentary Voices for and Against

During the committee stage, Labour and Home Affairs Minister Major General Pius Mokgware cautioned parliament against adopting unenforceable rules. “Do not have legislation which you cannot enforce—it is dangerous,” Mokgware told parliament.

Moshupa/Manyana MP Karabo Gare opposed the lower age limit. “When a person is still 18, he or she cannot make informed decisions, hence they end up being addicted to the game,” he said.

Botswana Congress Party MP Kenny Kapinga also argued for keeping the current minimum age of 21, stating that younger adults remain vulnerable to early exposure to gambling.

Illegal Betting Drives Reform

In January, Acting Gambling Authority CEO Moruntshi Kemorwale reported that problem gambling had declined from 5% in 2020 to 3.4% in 2025. He attributed this improvement in part to the regulator’s National Responsible Gambling Programme and nationwide education and outreach efforts.

Kemorwale said the Authority’s role is to protect the public while ensuring gambling benefits Botswana. He added that the regulator is working with police to target illegal promoters who make misleading promises of wealth, and that its approach to licensed operators emphasizes guidance and compliance alongside enforcement.

The dispute over the legal gambling age comes as the Gambling Authority intensifies warnings about illegal online betting. Speaking at the 2026 South East Region Staff Excellence Awards in Gaborone, Kemorwale said unlicensed platforms are diverting an estimated P850 million ($63.2 million) from Botswana’s economy each year and exposing children and teenagers to unregulated gambling. He described the rapid growth of the illegal online market as one of the sector’s most serious challenges.

AML and FATF Changes in the Gambling Bill

The bill would amend the Gambling Authority Act to align it more closely with the Financial Intelligence Act and Financial Action Task Force standards. According to its memorandum, the changes aim to strengthen anti-money laundering (AML) requirements and reduce financial crime risks.

Proposed amendments include provisions on:

The bill would also require Authority approval for the acquisition of a direct or indirect financial or controlling interest of 5% or more, unless a lower threshold is prescribed.

Most licence holders would be required to link gambling machines and devices on their premises to the Gambling Authority’s statutory monitoring system. Casino and bingo licence holders would need to install their own monitoring systems instead.

Tougher Penalties Included

The bill would increase the maximum penalty for contravening Section 87(1) to a P100,000 fine, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. It would also require the Gambling Authority to give a licensee an opportunity to be heard before suspending, revoking, or refusing to renew a licence.

Responsible Gambling Concerns Remain

Responsible gambling and treatment services were recurring themes in parliamentary debate. Minister of Environment and Tourism Dr. Wynter Mmolotsi called for Botswana to establish a dedicated rehabilitation facility for people experiencing gambling harm. He also suggested that the country consider systems capable of identifying extended gambling sessions, betting patterns, and other potential indicators of harmful play.

“In other countries, such systems detect the time taken, every bet placed, how the game is played, and thus help to curb addiction,” Mmolotsi said.

Kgatleng Central MP Mpho Morolong added that gambling should be understood as entertainment rather than a route to financial security. “Gambling should be taught as entertainment rather than a way to make money,” Morolong said.

Botswana’s Gambling Market Expands

Botswana’s regulated betting market has grown rapidly following the Gambling Authority’s 2023 process to license bookmaker and totalisator operators, including online betting subject to regulatory approval.

In January 2024, before locally licensed online operators were active, the Authority reported about 510,000 monthly cases of Botswanans participating in illegal online gambling.

Sunbet Botswana launched its online sports-betting platform in February 2025 and reported a 4,700% increase in sign-ups during its first month. As this was operator-reported, the company did not publicly disclose the comparison baseline or absolute number of registrations.

The Authority said licensed operators accepted P150 million in wagers in March 2025, paid P135 million in winnings, and generated P15 million in gross gambling revenue. It also estimated that only about 40% of Botswana’s estimated 550,000 active bettors were using licensed local operators, leaving a substantial share of demand with unregulated platforms.

By December 2025, Kemorwale said gambling revenue had exceeded P700 million, and the Authority expected the industry to surpass P1 billion by the end of the 2026/27 financial year in March 2027.

Kemorwale said Botswana needs to modernize oversight as the sector develops, including through a central electronic monitoring system and stronger enforcement capability. “Truth be told, this industry is evolving as the sun rises. You snooze, you lose,” Kemorwale said. He added that the Authority still relies on outside specialists for some technical regulatory work because domestic expertise is limited.

Illegal betting remains a central enforcement concern. In December 2025, the Gambling Authority and Financial Intelligence Agency were reportedly investigating eight foreign-based betting websites allegedly using local proxies to operate in Botswana. Authorities were also reported to be working with communications and financial-sector bodies to restrict access to illegal platforms and disrupt associated payment channels.

Next Steps

With parliamentary approval secured, attention now turns to presidential assent, commencement, and implementation. The Gambling Authority will face the task of translating the proposed reforms into stronger digital oversight, more effective action against unlicensed operators, and practical customer safeguards as Botswana’s regulated market continues to expand.