Botswana and Namibia gambling MoU to boost investment

Legal expert Allan Mzunga believes the cross-jurisdiction agreement will help enhance investment opportunities for gambling in Botswana and Namibia.

The Gambling Authority of Botswana and the Lotteries Board of Namibia last week signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This sets a new precedent for collaborative gaming regulations across Africa.

The bilateral meeting held in Gaborone sought to enhance collaboration across various regulatory policies, including responsible gambling.

Present at the meeting were Botswana gambling authority board member Gaoakanye Tapeng, Chief Executive Officer Peter Emolemo Kesitilwe and various other executives. Representing Namibia’s regulator were Chairperson Wycliff Shililifa and CEO Dr John Shimaneni.

The two parties said the collaboration marked a significant step forward in cross-border regulatory alignment, cementing Botswana and Namibia positions as leaders in responsible gaming governance in Africa.

What dividends will the Bostwana Namibia gambling MoU yield?

The Botswana Namibia gambling MoU will pave the way for several initiatives intended to enhance gaming regulation’s effectiveness across both jurisdictions.

Thus, both parties will initiate training programmes for staff members. This will enable the two parties to establish best practices and discuss player protection improvements.

“I believe this is a highly progressive step. With this, a more stable and predictable regulatory environment will be created, which in turn will significantly enhance investment opportunities and foster sustainable gaming growth for these countries,” legal practitioner Allan Mzungu of MMS Advocates, a corporate and commercial law firm in Africa, tells iGB.

“And this approach will not only attract more investors but also ensure that the industry operates with integrity and transparency.”

The relationship between the two markets dates back to last December as PstBet, a leading Namibian sports betting company, expanded into Botswana to establish the first licensed betting operator in the country.

Other initiatives being planned

During the meeting, regulators from both Botswana and Namibia reiterated their strong commitment to responsible gambling. This partnership will help facilitate joint research into the social impact of gambling. Data-driven policies to benefit players, operators and the industry more generally were a focus.

With a better understanding of the social effects of gaming, regulators will aim to craft effective measures to combat problem gambling and illicit gaming activities.