Namibia Opens Gambling Reform Consultations With New Monitoring Fees and Digital Rules on Table

Namibia has launched nationwide consultations on proposed gambling and lottery reforms that could introduce new monitoring fees, digital licensing rules and a Central Electronic Monitoring System while strengthening tax oversight of operators.

Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has begun a series of public consultations on proposed changes to the country’s gambling and lottery regulatory framework, with meetings scheduled across six regions from October 5 to 14.

The proposals include a mandatory 5% monitoring fee on operators’ net monthly income and an additional 1% maintenance fee on gross income to support a Central Electronic Monitoring System designed to strengthen oversight of gambling activity.

Licensing costs could also be restructured. The government is considering standardised application and registration fees, with lower costs for smaller establishments such as bars and shebeens and higher charges for bookmakers and totalisators. Promotional competitions could face a 5% levy on prize value and a N$2,000 approval fee.

Digital gambling is another major focus. The proposed reforms provide for an electronic software lottery licence and clearer rules for digital platforms, reflecting the need to modernise a regulatory framework originally built primarily around land-based gambling.

Authorities also plan closer cooperation with the Namibia Revenue Agency through data sharing aimed at identifying undeclared income from operators and gambling winnings.

The consultations take place while Namibia is already working on a broader Gaming and Entertainment Control Bill. The country has maintained a moratorium on new gambling-house licences since 1997, which the ministry says can only be lifted once the new legislation is enacted.

Meetings are scheduled in Keetmanshoop, Swakopmund, Oshakati, Rundu, Otjiwarongo and Windhoek. Feedback from operators and other stakeholders will now be important in determining the final structure of the reforms, particularly the cost of the monitoring system and how future rules will apply to digital gambling businesses.