Eswatini Court Sentences 84 Foreign Nationals Linked to Illegal Online Gambling Case

An Eswatini court has sentenced 84 foreign nationals arrested in connection with an alleged illegal online gambling operation in Mbabane, while ordering that they remain in custody pending deportation.

An Eswatini court has sentenced 84 foreign nationals arrested in connection with an alleged illegal online gambling operation in Mbabane, marking a new stage in one of the country’s largest recent gambling-related investigations.

The group appeared before the Mbabane Magistrate’s Court on June 12 and pleaded guilty to immigration-related charges. Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi sentenced them to six months in prison or the option to pay a fine of E500, equal to about US$31, each.

The court also granted the Crown’s request that the defendants remain in custody at His Majesty’s Correctional Services even if they pay the fines. The decision means the group will remain detained while deportation procedures are processed.

The sentence relates to breaches of Eswatini’s Immigration Act. According to local reporting, 79 of the accused faced two counts under the Act, while five faced one count. The charges included engaging in employment, occupation, trade, business or profession without valid permits, as well as entering and remaining in the country without the required documentation.

The foreign nationals were among those arrested during raids at the Castle Hotel in Mbabane, one of the locations linked to an alleged illegal online gambling operation. The case has attracted major attention in Eswatini because of the number of suspects involved, the cross-border profile of the accused and the broader allegations surrounding the operation.

In court, the defendants apologised to Eswatini’s authorities and asked for leniency. Their legal representatives argued that they had shown remorse by pleading guilty and that some of the circumstances were linked to promises allegedly made by their employer regarding documentation.

However, the Crown argued that the offences should be treated seriously to deter others from entering or working in the country without proper authorisation. The magistrate noted that the sentence was limited by the law, which caps the penalty for the relevant immigration offences at six months or the option of a E500 fine.

The ruling does not close the wider investigation into the alleged gambling network. Eswatini authorities have been investigating suspected illegal online gambling, money laundering and possible links to a broader transnational fraud structure. Earlier proceedings involved foreign nationals from several countries and multiple locations around Mbabane.

For Eswatini, the case highlights how illegal online gambling investigations can quickly expand beyond gaming offences into immigration control, financial crime, cyber-enabled fraud and cross-border law enforcement. It also shows the growing complexity facing African regulators as online gambling operations become more mobile, multinational and digitally organised.

For the wider gambling industry, the case is another reminder that illegal operators often rely on more than websites and payment channels. They may also use informal labour structures, rented premises, foreign workers and corporate layers that make enforcement more difficult. Eswatini’s decision to proceed with immigration penalties and deportation measures suggests that authorities are using multiple legal tools to disrupt suspected illegal gambling networks.