The local gambling industry is emerging as a significant contributor to the formal economy. Regulation is driving a sharp migration from illegal offshore platforms to licensed domestic operators.
Gross gambling revenue reached P1.3bn in 2025/26, up 485% year-on-year, while taxes and levies rose 482% to P181m. Direct employment increased by 19.5% to about 500 jobs, according to figures presented by Gambling Authority CEO Moruntshi Kemorwale at a recent media briefing.
Kemorwale says the figures demonstrate what regulation can achieve when a fast-growing digital market is brought into the formal economy.
The clearest evidence is online betting. Since licensing began in February 2025, the Authority says accounts on illegal websites have fallen from 510,400 to 40,000, a 92% decline. Licensed-market accounts, meanwhile, have reached 1.5m, a 194% increase.
The economic argument is strengthened by the industry’s wider value chain. Casinos, bookmakers, lottery operators, technology companies, testing agents, training providers and vendors all participate in the sector, creating opportunities for employment, skills development and small businesses. The Authority estimates that gambling supports about 500 jobs directly in Botswana, while generating additional activity in food, maintenance, entertainment and tourism.
That shift matters because, as Kemorwale makes says, regulation is not simply about collecting taxes. Licensed operators must meet requirements covering customer verification, responsible gambling, transaction monitoring, technical integrity and regulatory reporting.
“Responsible gambling is not just compliance, it is environmental, social and governance leadership,” the CEO said in outlining their approach to the sector.
The economic argument is strengthened by the industry’s wider value chain. Casinos, bookmakers, lottery operators, technology companies, testing agents, training providers and vendors all participate in the sector, creating opportunities for employment, skills development and small businesses. The Authority estimates that gambling supports about 500 jobs directly in Botswana, while generating additional activity in food, maintenance, entertainment and tourism.
But the sector faces a formidable competitor in offshore market. Kemorwale estimates that 78% of global online gambling remains unregulated, with unregulated wagering reaching an estimated $5.9trn in 2025. He said the challenge is therefore increasingly about keeping economic activity within the regulated system. The Authority sought amendments to the 2012 Gambling Act to strengthen financial-integrity controls, address underage gambling, clarify the status of amusement-arcade machines and resolve obstacles affecting the National Lottery.
Kemorwale’s message is that regulation should evolve alongside the industry. The Authority says it wants to move from a model that “regulate[s] after harm” to one that “prevent[s] harm before it happens”, while shifting from profit alone towards “public value creation”.
