27 Oct 2013

The Gambling Act which was enacted in 2012 was established to rehabilitate people affected by ills associated with gambling, the Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Keletso Rakhudu, has said.

Addressing the Ntlo ya Dikgosi meeting recently, Mr Rakhudu said the Gambling Act of 2012 provided for the establishment of a fund into which all levies imposed under the act will be paid. The law also provides for the establishment of the excessive gambling prevention and rehabilitation committee.

Mr Rakhudu said the committee would guide and monitor the development and implementation of the programmes and strategies aimed at preventing addictive or compulsive gambling and rehabilitating compulsive gamblers.

It will also monitor the social and economic effects of gambling in Botswana, including the need for counselling and other services. Though the act was passed last year, Mr Rakhudu indicated that there were some other parts of the act that had not been commenced yet.

The implemented aspects are the appointment of the gambling authority board, the appointment of the chief executive officer and the financial provisions.

Other parts of the act would only be implemented with the establishment of the authority. Mr Rakhudu was responding to a motion that was tabled by North East Region Kgosi Maruje Masunga, who proposed that the house requests government to introduce a levy and set up a fund for the rehabilitation of all people affected by social ills associated with gambling. He showed concern at the way gambling addicts found it difficult to leave the habit.

A lot of families, Kgosi Masunga said, had been irreparably broken, because of gambling addiction. He said the levy could be used to fund some development projects as is the case with the alcohol levy. ENDS