Gambling Laws in Botswana

Gambling in Botswana is regulated by the Gambling Act 2012  and the follow-up Gambling Regulations from 2016 which make various forms of gambling, including casino gambling, betting and lotto games. Although this law makes various forms of land-based gambling legal, online gambling in Botswana, remains unregulated. The only exception in this regard is the online betting sector. The official body for regulating the gambling sector in Botswana is the Gambling Authority. The Gambling Authority has been established in terms of the Gambling Act No 7 of 2012 and is responsible for overseeing the work of the gambling sector in the country as well as for granting licenses to interested operators. According to Botswana gambling laws minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Botswana? All forms of online gambling, with exception of online betting are unregulated in Botswana.

Online Casinos in Botswana

The largest casino in the country is the one operating within the Marang Hotel. The Marang Hotel and Casino is run by Sun International Group, a South African hotel chain widely popular on the African continent.  The casino, however, has not launched yet an online casino in Botswana. Foreign internet casino sites are also easily accessible from Botswana.

Online Poker in Botswana

Poker in Botswana is legal and part of the regular offer or the land-based casinos operating the country. Regarding online poker, however, there are no specific Botswana online poker laws. There are also no specialized, licensed, online poker sites in Botswana, as of March 2019. Foreign online poker sites can easily be accessed from the country.

Online lottery in Botswana

Online lotteries in Botswana are still far from being established. The Gambling Authority has been stopped, as of March 2019, from issuing any licence to any party interested in operating the national lottery. Due to malfunctioning in the past the process of creation of national lottery in Botswana will have to wait further legal specifications that can facilitate this process . As there are no specific Botswana online lottery laws, the online lotto sector in the country is also unregulated.

Online bingo in Botswana

There are no specific Botswana online bingo laws. Therefore, online bingo in Botswana is also considered to be unregulated. As of March 2019, there are also no specialized sites for online bingo in Botswana. Bingo rooms, licensed elsewhere, can easily be accessed from the country.

Online sports betting in Botswana

Unlike much of the online gaming sector in the country, online sports betting in Botswana is regulated under the current legislative. Although there are only a few licensed online sportsbook site in Botswana, the market is overflowed with illegal operators. Due to this situation the government, through the Gambling Authority is actively struggling to block non-licensed international online sports books that target players from Botswana. 

Online daily fantasy sports in Botswana

Online DFS sites in Botswana do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive a legal status in Botswana.