17 Feb 2016

The chief executive officer of the newly established Gambling Authority Botswana, Mr Thulisizwe Johnson has implored the gambling operators to ensure that compliance is a core business in their operations.

Mr Johnson said this at the stakeholders consultative meeting on the gambling regulations expected to be operational from April 1.

“Financial intelligence holds gambling authority responsible for oversight and supervision of money laundering, financing acts of terrorism and all the subsequent acts. We rely on the operators to comply and put in necessary resources as reputation could be lost due to non compliance,” he said. 

Mr Johnson said the Gambling Authority was established in terms of the Gambling Act of 2012, with the assistance of the Attorney General’s Chamber, adding that the regulations shall enable full commencement of the act.   

He said it was imperative to engage and share information on the new legislation with the key stakeholders and partners so as to facilitate the smooth implementation and enforcement of the regulations.

Mr Johnson said the request for applications for licenses were to be done soon after effecting of the regulations, adding that the non-refundable application fee will the required from the applicant.

Attendants requested that it was important to consult stakeholders in the development of the regulations, they also requested the establishment to state the reasons that informed the evaluations of the licensing fees. Ends