Botswana Gambling Authority sets 2026 priorities around illegal influencers and stronger player safeguards

The Botswana Gambling Authority has used a media briefing in Gaborone to outline its 2026 agenda, pledging tougher action against illegal gambling promoters, upgraded safeguards and a sharper focus on responsible play as industry revenue heads toward P1bn.

The Botswana Gambling Authority (BGA) has set out its regulatory priorities for 2026, using a media briefing at the Avani Hotel on Thursday, January 15, to reaffirm its focus on fair, safe and responsible gambling as the sector continues to grow.

Acting CEO Moruntshi Kemorwale reflected on the regulator’s ten years of operations, highlighting the impact of its national Responsible Gambling Programme, which has helped reduce the rate of problem gambling from about 5 per cent in 2020 to 3.4 per cent in 2025. He also pointed to the “Motshameko o Phepha” outreach campaign, which has already reached 173 of a planned 500 locations in just two and a half months through roadshows, printed materials, social media and community engagements.

Looking ahead, the Authority said it will take a firmer line against influencers and other endorsers of illegal gambling in 2026, working with the police to clamp down on individuals who promote unlicensed operators and mislead consumers with unrealistic promises of easy money. One such promoter has already been apprehended and forced to retract their content, Kemorwale noted.

In parallel, the BGA is updating its regulatory strategy to reflect new gaming technologies and evolving risks. Priorities include strengthening consumer protection rules, enhancing supervision of licensed operators and assessing the introduction of a central electronic monitoring system to better track gambling activity and mitigate harm.

The Authority estimates that gambling revenue could reach around P1bn (roughly €64m) this year, underscoring the sector’s growing economic footprint. Even so, Kemorwale stressed that enforcement, licensing compliance and ongoing dialogue with operators will remain central: the BGA’s goal, he said, is not to punish by default but to guide the sector so that growth goes hand in hand with public-interest safeguards.