Mauritius Proposes Major Gambling Law Reforms Under 2026 2027 Budget

The Mauritius government has proposed wide-ranging gambling law reforms, including expanded digital gaming, stronger monitoring and the removal of the separate hotel casino licence category.

Mauritius has proposed a major overhaul of its gambling legislation as part of the country’s 2026–2027 Budget package.

The reforms, set out in the Annex to the Budget Speech, would amend the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act and introduce more than 30 changes covering digital gaming, licensing, tax monitoring, responsible gambling, governance and enforcement.

One of the main proposals is to expand the digital games framework. Existing casino operators, Gaming House operators and limited payout machine operators would be allowed to apply for licences to offer digital games. Operators would also need to submit certified game rules to the Gambling Regulatory Authority and obtain approval from an accredited independent gaming laboratory before launching digital products.

The government also wants to strengthen electronic monitoring. Betting operators would have to connect their servers and terminals to the GRA’s server, while casino and Gaming House licensees would be required to connect to the Central Electronic Monitoring System operated by the Mauritius Revenue Authority. The systems would need to remain continuously connected, giving regulators better visibility over transactions and tax compliance.

Another important change is the proposed removal of the separate hotel casino licence category. Definitions linked to “hotel casino”, “hotel casino games” and “hotel casino operator” would be deleted, meaning hotel-based casino activity would have to fit within the broader casino licensing framework where permitted.

The reforms would also restructure the GRA by creating a Responsible Gambling and Communications Division and a Finance and Procurement Division. The Board would be able to delegate certain powers to senior officials, including the Chief Executive and legal governance leadership.

Other measures include increasing the number of bookmaker terminals allowed at approved premises from three to five, introducing new processing fees for licence and relocation applications, and shifting licence fees to a calendar-year basis.

The budget package also proposes changes to horse racing betting taxation. Tax would be calculated on stakes net of winnings payable, rather than on gross stakes. Fixed-odds betting on foreign horse racing during the local off-season would also be allowed.

Compliance rules would become stricter, with fit-and-proper assessments for some industry workers, registration requirements for foreign technicians and gaming staff, and higher penalties for confidentiality breaches or poor recordkeeping.

For Mauritius, the reform is both regulatory and fiscal. It aims to modernise gambling oversight, improve revenue monitoring and strengthen confidence in the regulator.

For operators, the impact could be significant. Companies may need stronger technical systems, certified platforms, continuous reporting tools and tighter internal controls.

The proposals still need to pass through the legislative process. If enacted, they would move Mauritius toward a more centralised, digitally monitored and compliance-driven gambling regime.