With no relevant local study to determine if extended opening hours contribute to more problem gambling, Botswana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry is to introduce legislation to limit casino operating hours. The new Gaming and Gambling Bill is still in draft form but is expected to require each gambling facility to contribute to a fund for the treatment of problem gambling in addition to paying gaming tax. The Casino Control Board plans to implement a consultation process with casino operators.

Chairman of the Casino Control Board, Lekwalo Mosienyane, estimates that 1% of gamblers in Botswana have a compulsive gambling habit, but there has been no study done to determine actual levels. The draft Gaming and Gambling Bill will also establish an advisory body for the management of problem gambling. A previous attempt to restrict gambling by the introduction of an entrance fee has been less than successful, with casinos giving good customers free entry.

New technologies and loopholes in the law have made the present Casino Act, passed in 1971, outdated. As in many jurisdictions that have had gambling regulations in place for many years, Botswana’s original law made no provision for responsible gambling legislation or for research into and treatment of problem gambling. The Government hopes that the introduction of the new law will go some way to redress the situation, and that the measures proposed will keep problem gambling in Botswana at a minimum. (E-04.07.06)

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