Battle brewing over new casino licence

Three months ago, the Casino Control Board of Botswana awarded a fourth licence in Gaborone to a consortium that includes South Africa's Gold Reef Resorts, the MD of Botswana-listed property group, RDC Guido Giachetti, and local businessman Moitsheki Lekalake, who is the holder of the licence.

Now, led by gaming and hotel giants Peermont Global and supported by Sun international and Moonlite Casinos which runs the casino at Gaborone Hotel, the old players want the awarding of the new licence to be reviewed and could mount a legal challenge in the High Court to achieve that. While no official comment was forthcoming from local hotel and gaming outfits, Business Day of Johannesburg quotes the parent company of Peermont Global Botswana, Peermont Global, as saying there were irregularities in the awarding of the licence and that they will contest it.