Local gamblers bet P150m in one month

Pauline Dikuelo - Mbongeni Mguni | Monday April 28, 2025 16:18

In that month, of the country’s betting population estimated at 550,000, only 40% or about 220,000 used licensed operators, highlighting the continued nuisance of illegal betting platforms.

Since early this year, when the Gambling Authority moved to licence several online sports betting players, the country has seen huge uptake of gambling activities, particularly amongst younger people.

Lured by the promise of easy pickings and low entry criteria such as one Pula bets online, growing numbers of punters are spending the day making bets on a variety of sporting events around the world, searching for “the big score”.

While the craze has spread by word of mouth, it has particularly been fuelled by social media, where punters have formed groups and regularly share stories of huge winnings, attracting ever growing numbers of new players.

For the Gambling Authority, which is monitoring the trends, the concern is around the illegal betting platforms which have taken advantage of Batswana’s rising interest in gambling.

On Wednesday, while sharing the latest numbers, the Authority’s CEO, Peter Kesitilwe, said the fact that just 40% of punters used legal platforms in March, showed the extent of the challenge in the country.

He said the figures suggest that a significant portion of gambling activity may be occurring outside the regulated market, raising concerns about licensed platforms and their impact on revenue and consumer protection.

“This statistic is alarming and highlights the growing threat of illegal online betting platforms that are not regulated and do not contribute to our economy,” he said at the launch of the latest platform, Bet267.

Kesitilwe said if the figures from March are extrapolated to cover a full year and assuming current trends hold, the annual gambling gross revenue would approximately be P180 million.

Again, this figure reflects only 40% of the active gambling population.

“Botswana’s gross gambling revenue full potential could exceed P450 million annually if we effectively convert unlicensed players to licensed platforms,” he said. The CEO said while Botswana’s market is smaller, its per capita betting activity is among the highest in the region, adding that with the right policy framework, compliance culture and public education, the sector can grow responsibly.

Trendwatchers have said Batswana are increasingly making higher bets on the available platforms, moving from the initial tentative small bets a few months ago to higher amounts.

“The amounts have increased a lot,” said Langton Noah, a 35-year-old who says he joined the betting wave right at its beginning. “At the beginning people were betting with ma one pula, but as they started making money, they also began increasing their stakes. “Now we are seeing bets of up to P50,000 and the person who bet that won P70,000. “When they are sure, they bet high amounts. “The overall trend is higher especially after the platforms opened up for games as well, instead of just sports.”

In recent months, the country has witnessed an avalanche of newly minted betting platforms, which include Betway, Sunbet Botswana, PSBET, BBets, Bet267 all of which have officially entered the Botswana market.

The explosion in both legal and illegal betting platforms, as well as rising numbers of gamblers and escalating betting amounts, have raised concern that without restraint, many punters could be on the road to serious gambling addiction.

Concerns have even been raised by commentators that many older gamblers who previously were restricted to physical casinos, are now gambling around the clock and around the week online. Reports are being shared on social media of some elderly people risking their pensions and other savings to gamble recklessly.

Young people, on the other hand, are the fastest rising demographic in the betting wave, again raising concern that addiction guard-rails are not being monitored or enforced.

The Gambling Authority recently commissioned a national study on the prevalence of gambling in Botswana with a special focus on problem gambling and the risks associated with online platforms. The study will provide critical data to inform the Authority’s interventions.

Meanwhile, the Authority said it is reviewing the Gambling Policy of 2002 to ensure that its regulatory framework aligns with global best practices, especially in the context of digital gambling and cross border enforcement.

The Gambling Act of 2012 is also being amended to explicitly address Anti Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), while revising the legal gambling age from 21 to 18 in line with global norms.

“This change will allow companies to legally enroll more customers who would otherwise migrate to unregulated platforms,” Kesitilwe said.