Botswana regulators launch joint crackdown on eight offshore betting sites

Botswana’s Gambling Authority and Financial Intelligence Agency have opened a joint investigation into eight unlicensed offshore betting platforms that use local agents and payment channels to reach players, bypassing the country’s licensing rules and financial oversight.

Botswana’s gambling and financial crime regulators have confirmed a coordinated probe into eight betting platforms operating from foreign jurisdictions without local approval. According to an official notice, the Gambling Authority (GA) and the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) say these sites rely on agents inside Botswana to recruit customers, process deposits and arrange payouts, effectively sidestepping national licensing and supervision requirements.

As part of the crackdown, the GA and FIA are working with the national communications regulator and local internet providers to block access to the identified domains at network level. Banks and mobile money operators have also been instructed to freeze transactions linked to the sites and report suspicious flows, reflecting growing concern that offshore betting is being used both to evade tax and to move funds outside the formal financial system.

Regulators say the illegal market is causing “significant economic damage”. A recent study cited by the GA estimates that unlicensed betting drains around US$32m a year from Botswana – roughly double the revenue generated by the regulated sector. Beyond lost tax, authorities warn that unlicensed platforms offer no meaningful consumer protection: players have little recourse if winnings are withheld, odds manipulated or accounts closed without explanation.

The GA and FIA are combining enforcement with public-awareness messaging. Bettors are being urged to verify an operator’s licence status on the GA’s official website before placing bets, and to avoid agents who promote “foreign” sites that are not visibly licensed in Botswana. Looking ahead, the GA says it is developing AI-based verification and monitoring tools to help both regulators and consumers confirm whether a platform is properly authorised.

Officials emphasize that the goal is not to shut down regulated gambling, but to protect local operators that comply with the Gambling Act 2012 from unfair competition, while safeguarding the integrity of Botswana’s financial system. Under the Act, running or promoting illegal gambling carries heavy fines and the possibility of imprisonment – penalties that the GA and FIA say they are now prepared to apply against organisers and local facilitators of the offshore schemes.