Namibia Gambling
Namibia to Ease Up On Gambling
Ministry of Environment, Forestry & Tourism Casinos & Gambling Houses The Gaming Control Division is governed by the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act, (Act 32 of 1994). Namibia’s Current Gambling Laws. The Namibian Casino and Gambling House Act has regulated the industry since 1994, and established the Casino Board to licence and supervise operators. The country responded enthusiastically, and soon there were several establishments, of different sizes, spread across Namibia. International News Brief: Kalahari Sands Hotel and Casino, in conjunction with the Gaming Board of Namibia, is spearheading the implementation of a Responsible Gaming Programme aimed at assisting people suffering from excessive or compulsive gambling behaviour. Read more Namibian Gambling Moratorium Remains 11 May 2004.
Namibia’s government has announced plans to publicly revoke its banon the distribution of gambling licences. This would create a lot more jobopportunities and economic prosperity in the country and reflects the face thatNamibia, like the rest of Africa, is trying to capitalise on the gambling surgethat is sweeping the continent.
Namibia’s Current Gambling Laws
The NamibianCasino and Gambling House Act has regulated the industry since 1994, andestablished the Casino Board to licence and supervise operators. The countryresponded enthusiastically, and soon there were several establishments, ofdifferent sizes, spread across Namibia.
The sheer number of casinos was difficult to manage, and thegovernment imposed a 10-year moratorium on issuing any new licences in Act 28of 1996. Although this was technically lifted in 2006, no new land-basedcasinos have been established since then.
At the moment there are only 3 legal establishments in the country –2 in capital city Windhoek, and 1 in Swakopmund. Offshore online sites canoperate without facing repercussions, and many of the best operators welcomeNamibian players. As long as the casino or sportsbook is regulated by trustedauthorities, bettors should be safe.
Hundreds of Unlicensed Casinos
Namibia Casino
The 3 regulated Namibian casinos are, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. Some reports say that the number of unregulated establishments now is about 260; Tourism and Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta puts the figure at around 3000. In addition, Shifeta says that there are close to 100,000 unlicensed gaming machines in the country – and these could potentially change if international companies such as Betway gets access to the market.
Unregulated operations leave players unprotected, and mean that thegovernment misses out on billons of tax revenue. In addition, regulatorsusually require casinos and bookmakers to support responsible gamblinginitiatives so that players can get help when experiencing problem behaviours.
As the gambling industry in Namibia and the rest of Africa continuesto grow exponentially, many countries are recognising the importance ofsecurity and taxation, and are implementing more regulatory measures. Byimposing more structure while also loosening monopolies, governments stimulatethe sector and allow for more growth.
Proposed New Gambling Act
Namibia’s government wants to replacethe existing 1994 legislation with the Gaming and Entertainment ControlAct, which will be revised to be more suitable for today’s industry. Alloperators will be monitored via a central control system, so the range ofsecure playing options will increase exponentially. The expected correspondingclimb in revenue will go a long way to boosting the economy.
Potential for Online Regulations
The combined gambling industry in Africa is predicted to reachannual profits of over $40 billion in the near future, and online casinos andsportsbooks are huge contributors to these earnings. That makes desktop andmobile players as susceptible to exploitation, temptation to gamble irresponsiblyand mistreatment as their land-based counterparts, if not more so because thereare so many more gaming establishments at their fingertips.
In addition, of course, online gambling can generate huge revenuefor governments if they are regularly taxed. Currently Namibian players areprotected if they play at licensed offshore sites, but the country’s economy isnot benefiting. Proper online betting legislation could change that, but as hasbeen seen in several other countries around the world, changing these laws canbe a slow process. Hopefully the new Gaming and Entertainment Control Actheralds the start.
Namibia to Ease Up On Gambling
Namibia’s government has announced plans to publicly revoke its banon the distribution of gambling licences. This would create a lot more jobopportunities and economic prosperity in the country and reflects the face thatNamibia, like the rest of Africa, is trying to capitalise on the gambling surgethat is sweeping the continent.
Namibia’s Current Gambling Laws
The NamibianCasino and Gambling House Act has regulated the industry since 1994, andestablished the Casino Board to licence and supervise operators. The countryresponded enthusiastically, and soon there were several establishments, ofdifferent sizes, spread across Namibia.
The sheer number of casinos was difficult to manage, and thegovernment imposed a 10-year moratorium on issuing any new licences in Act 28of 1996. Although this was technically lifted in 2006, no new land-basedcasinos have been established since then.
At the moment there are only 3 legal establishments in the country –2 in capital city Windhoek, and 1 in Swakopmund. Offshore online sites canoperate without facing repercussions, and many of the best operators welcomeNamibian players. As long as the casino or sportsbook is regulated by trustedauthorities, bettors should be safe.
Hundreds of Unlicensed Casinos
The 3 regulated Namibian casinos are, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. Some reports say that the number of unregulated establishments now is about 260; Tourism and Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta puts the figure at around 3000. In addition, Shifeta says that there are close to 100,000 unlicensed gaming machines in the country – and these could potentially change if international companies such as Betway gets access to the market.
Unregulated operations leave players unprotected, and mean that thegovernment misses out on billons of tax revenue. In addition, regulatorsusually require casinos and bookmakers to support responsible gamblinginitiatives so that players can get help when experiencing problem behaviours.
Namibia Gambling Machines
As the gambling industry in Namibia and the rest of Africa continuesto grow exponentially, many countries are recognising the importance ofsecurity and taxation, and are implementing more regulatory measures. Byimposing more structure while also loosening monopolies, governments stimulatethe sector and allow for more growth.
Proposed New Gambling Act
Namibia’s government wants to replacethe existing 1994 legislation with the Gaming and Entertainment ControlAct, which will be revised to be more suitable for today’s industry. Alloperators will be monitored via a central control system, so the range ofsecure playing options will increase exponentially. The expected correspondingclimb in revenue will go a long way to boosting the economy.
Potential for Online Regulations
The combined gambling industry in Africa is predicted to reachannual profits of over $40 billion in the near future, and online casinos andsportsbooks are huge contributors to these earnings. That makes desktop andmobile players as susceptible to exploitation, temptation to gamble irresponsiblyand mistreatment as their land-based counterparts, if not more so because thereare so many more gaming establishments at their fingertips.
In addition, of course, online gambling can generate huge revenuefor governments if they are regularly taxed. Currently Namibian players areprotected if they play at licensed offshore sites, but the country’s economy isnot benefiting. Proper online betting legislation could change that, but as hasbeen seen in several other countries around the world, changing these laws canbe a slow process. Hopefully the new Gaming and Entertainment Control Actheralds the start.