Botswana’s Gambling Authority is to issue six more licenses to casino operators this February, local online media outlet Mmegi reports. The regulatory body will be adding the six licenses to the already issued eight, in an effort to open up their gambling market further.
According to the news report, in a media briefing that took place last Friday GA’s CEO Thulisizwe Johnson stated that Botswana plans to approve two casinos that will be set up in Palapye, two in Gaborone, and one each in Maun and Kasane. At the moment, there are 3 Gaborone casinos, 2 in Francistown, and one in Letlhakane and Jwaneng.
Out of the six new licenses, the one in Kasane will have some exemptions due to the fact that, even though the area has the capacity to host a casino, they had to keep in mind that Kasane was still a village. And apart from land-based casinos, the regulatory body will also issue a license for sports betting, bingo and a national lottery, which will be used to fund a distribution fund that would benefit sports, charities, culture, arts, or anything that’s designated for funding.
Johnson also stated that companies will not be allowed to directly apply for a license with the authority?unless they have been invited to do so. The application process would involve outlining the location, entity shareholder requirements, the source of income, as well as the number of employees in the prospective casino. The applicants are expected to adhere to the provisions of the act, which outline how employment is to be created but also stipulate that local managers should be hired?if they are to be funded.
According to an annual report from the GA for last year, casino GGY in Botswana in 2015-16 reached 225.2 million Pulas ($21.4million) or 0.29% more than the previous year. The highest grossing casino was the Grand Palm, which generated 96.6 million Pulas ($9.1million).