Presenting a paper on the impact of gambling at last week’s Game Regulators Africa Forum annual conference, Mosienyane said these and other factors have contributed to an increase in problem gambling in the country. He added that the incidence or prevalence of problem gambling in the country has not yet been quantified but is however estimated at one percent of the gambling patronage.
Typically, he said, impacts common in the patronage with problem gambling are work-related like job loss, absenteeism and poor performance. He said the other impacts are personal stress and poor health, bankruptcy, asset losses including inter-personal violence.
Mosienyane said available ameliorative measures include self exclusions, imposing an entrance fees and some casinos displaying warning messages in their gaming areas about the dangers of gambling. However, he said, these alone have proved to be not effective given that the country does not have treatment centres or counselling facilities on problem gambling.
Mosienyane said in 2003, the government conducted a study which concluded that the pieces of legislation regulating gambling were outdated and need to be updated. He said a Gaming and Gambling Policy was passed by Parliament in 2002, calling for the establishment of a National Lottery and stoppages of issuance of additional casinos for areas where casinos were already in existence.
He noted that the Casino Control Board has since placed a moratorium on issuance of casino licences pending the production of a National Gaming and Gambling Plan.
He disclosed that a comprehensive Gaming and Gambling Bill is being drafted. The Bill, he said, was expected to cover issues like the establishment of an autonomous gambling authority and the establishment of a National Lottery operated by a private company.
The Bill would also require that gambling facilities, especially casinos, “track” players to establish gambling patterns. Another requirement would be for the establishment of a fund for the treatment of problem gambling. A committee or advisory body on the management of problem gambling will also be established.
Mosienyane told the conference that Botswana was among the first countries to regulate and legalise gambling in Southern Africa. He said for a very long time the country had two pieces of legislation enacted to govern gambling. The Lotteries and Betting Act was enacted in 1962 to regulate society lotteries, bingo and horse racing.
Mosienyane said the Casino Act was established in 1971 and following the enactment, an exclusive casino licence was granted to the Holiday Inn Hotel.
This exclusive licence ended in 1992 after 20 years, necessitating a position by government on allowing for competition.
He said government took a position that as a matter of Policy, any new hotel of international calibre be eligible to apply for a casino.
Seven additional casino licences were issued by the Casino Control Board between 1995 and 1998 in major towns country-wide. Currently, no casino operates in a rural location.
Licences are valid for a period of 10 years and renewable on such terms and conditions as the Board may deem fit.
Mosienyane said the requirement that casino licences must be issued to hotels of international calibre helped to establish facilities of high standing. However, he said this has not been easy to implement owing to the fact that the country did not have any grading system for hotels.
He continued that the gambling industry, particularly casinos, has always been associated, in the public minds, with crime. “True of any forum with concentrations of people carrying money and valuables, pockets of petty crime and street crime have been reported in respect of operating casinos,” he said.
