Botswana parliament passes gambling bill retaining proposal to lower age to 18

Botswana’s National Assembly has passed the Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2026, retaining a proposal to lower the country’s legal gambling age from 21 to 18 and update the regulatory framework for the expanding sector.

The bill passed at third reading on 13 August after second reading debate and clause-by-clause consideration during the committee stage. The measure has not yet been confirmed as having received presidential assent or entered into force.

If enacted, the bill would amend the Gambling Authority Act (Cap. 19:03). Its provisions would take effect on a date appointed by the responsible minister through an order published in the Government Gazette.

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

Botswana’s parliament published the measure as the Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Bill No. 15 of 2026.

Botswana gambling age proposal divides MPs

Botswana’s existing gambling framework sets the legal gambling age at 21. The amendment bill 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 threshold of 21 could push some towards unlicensed sites.

During the committee stage debate, Labour and Home Affairs Minister Major General Pius Mokgware warned parliament against adopting rules that could not be enforced in practice.

“Do not have legislations which you cannot enforce, it is dangerous,” Mokgware told parliament.

Moshupa/Manyana MP Karabo Gare opposed the lower age limit during parliamentary debate. “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 that parliament should retain the current minimum age of 21, saying younger adults remained vulnerable to early exposure to gambling.

Illegal betting drives reform

In January, Acting Gambling Authority CEO Moruntshi Kemorwale said reported problem gambling had declined from 5% in 2020 to 3.4% in 2025. It was a change he attributed in part to the regulator’s National Responsible Gambling Programme and nationwide education and outreach.

He said the Authority’s role was to protect the public while ensuring gambling benefited Botswana. Kemorwale added that it was working with police against illegal promoters who make misleading promises of wealth, and that its approach to licensed operators emphasised guidance and compliance alongside enforcement.

The dispute over the legal gambling age comes as the Gambling Authority steps up its warnings about illegal online betting.

Speaking at the 2026 South East Region Staff Excellence Awards in Gaborone, Kemorwale said unlicensed platforms were diverting an estimated P850m ($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 Botswana 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. Its memorandum says the changes are intended to strengthen anti-money laundering requirements and reduce financial crime risks.

The proposed amendments include provisions on beneficial ownership, financial and controlling interests, fit-and-proper-person assessments and know-your-customer requirements. They 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.

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

Tougher penalties

The bill would increase the maximum sanction 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 the parliamentary discussion.

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 is the game played and thus help to curb addiction,” Mmolotsi said.

Kgatleng Central MP Mpho Morolong also said 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 expanded quickly 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 said it had recorded 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 an operator-reported figure, 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 P700m, 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 needed to modernise oversight as the sector developed, 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 remained a central enforcement concern. In December 2025, the Gambling Authority and Financial Intelligence Agency were reported to be 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 will now turn 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.