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1. Market overview
Where the market sits, who runs it and under what law.
- Region
- Africa
- Legal status of gambling
- Regulated
- National regulator
- Botswana Gambling Authority (BGA), an independent statutory body established under the Gambling Act, 2012.
- Regulator website
- https://www.gamblingauthority.co.bw
- Key legislation
- Gambling Act, 2012 (Act 7 of 2012); amendments to extend the Act to online and remote gambling were under way as of 2025.
- Minimum player age
- Under verification
2. Allowed verticals
What may be offered, and whether it needs a licence.
| Vertical | Status | Licence required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land-based casino | Permitted with a licence | Yes | Covers table games and slot machines at licensed casinos, under a BGA casino licence. |
| Sports betting | Permitted with a licence | Yes | A betting licence covers fixed-odds and pool betting, including sports betting and totalisator operations, both land-based and online, per the BGA. |
| Slots / gaming halls | Permitted with a licence | Yes | Licensed separately as a gambling-machine licence. |
| Bingo | Permitted with a licence | Yes | A distinct licence category on the BGA's own list. |
| Lottery | Permitted with a licence | Yes | Operated historically through Botswana Lotteries under a lottery concession; the BGA also lists a standalone lottery licence category and, more recently, has called for applications covering digital, virtual, interactive and SMS competitions and games. |
| Online casino | Restricted | No | The BGA is reported to be finalising a comprehensive online gambling framework and backing amendments to the 2012 Act to cover online and remote gambling in more detail, implying the current regime does not yet address it comprehensively. |
3. Licensing framework
What a licence is, what it costs and what the holder must have in country.
- B2C licensing
- Under verification
- B2B licensing
- Under verification
- Licence term
- Reported by a community licensing guide as 3 years for both casino and sports-betting licences; this has not been confirmed against the Act itself and should be checked with the BGA before publication.
- Application fee
- Under verification
- Annual fee
- Under verification
- Local presence required
- Under verification
- Share capital required
- A 2013-era report gave registration costs of P250,000 for a casino and P50,000 for a betting house; these figures are old and may no longer be current.
4. Taxation and banking
What the state takes, and whether the money can move.
- Gaming tax (GGR)
- Sources disagree on the tax base: one describes licensed operators paying Botswana's standard 23.5% corporate income tax rate, while another describes online operators paying 23.5% on gross gaming revenue specifically. These are two different tax bases and the discrepancy is unresolved; it should be checked against the Botswana Unified Revenue Service before publication.
- Corporate income tax
- Under verification
- Tax on player winnings
- No specific tax on player winnings could be confirmed as of the source research; an often-repeated claim of a 10% withholding tax on winnings is not substantiated by recent sources and should not be relied on.
- Payments
- Under verification
- Banking and payments
- Under verification
6. Marketing and advertising
What may be said about the product, and where.
- Advertising
- Under verification
- Advertising restrictions
- The BGA has been pursuing ISP-level blocking of unlicensed offshore gambling sites as part of its enforcement activity.
- Sponsorship
- Under verification
Key sources
-
Botswana Gambling Authority — official site
Botswana Gambling Authority Regulator
-
Gambling Act, 2012 (Act 7 of 2012)
Government of Botswana Legislation
-
Botswana Advances Online Licensing Plans
Vixio Industry
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Planning to enter Botswana?
A regulatory assessment reads Botswana's regime against your own products, licence class and corporate structure, and says what follows for each: what you may offer, what you must hold, what it costs and what will change.
Regulatory Intelligence disclaimer
Information is provided for general regulatory intelligence purposes and should not be treated as legal advice for a specific transaction or business model. Regulatory requirements may change and should be confirmed before market entry or implementation.