Harare Correspondent
Harare – Zimbabwe’s Lotteries and Gaming Board (LGB) has announced that it has issued over 530 licenses to operators in the sports betting, lottery, and casino sectors this year.
This development highlights the board’s ongoing efforts to regulate the gaming industry in the country.
In an interview, LGB Secretary Dr. Misheck Chingozha emphasized the board’s commitment to addressing the social issues associated with gambling, including illicit drug use and trafficking.
“We are guided by the philosophy of gambling density where we monitor the number of entities or gaming activities in any geographical space so that we don’t end up exposing our general citizenry to gambling harm,” Dr. Chingozha stated during the board’s strategic planning workshop.
He noted that the board had initially targeted the issuance of 535 licenses for 2024 but exceeded that goal with 539 licenses issued by the end of the year.
“This is not really scary; it’s within what we had actually targeted,” he said.
Dr. Chingozha also highlighted the board’s efforts to clamp down on unregistered entities operating illegally in the gaming sector.
“In view of the advent of technology, there is really some proliferation of illegal activities. Some of which we have accounted for particularly in Gweru and Harare, and the perpetrators were arraigned before the courts with their equipment confiscated by our compliance team,” he explained.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Chido Sanyatwe, who spoke at the workshop, urged the board to develop strategies that enhance compliance within the gaming industry’s regulatory framework.
“The strategies must ensure strict adherence and compliance by all operators in the industry,” she stated.
Sanyatwe called for research into the reasons behind the growing public interest in gaming.
“I urge the board to critically analyze and understand the meaning of the growing appetite to invest in the gaming industry by both foreign and local investors,” she said.
“This must be controlled and balanced with the growth of revenue collection, protection from gambling harm, and social responsibility.”
She further emphasized the need for policies that go beyond mere compliance.
“Such policies and strategies should not just be window-dressing policies to tick compliance boxes but reflect commitment to the protection of players,” Sanyatwe asserted.
“Intensify the control of operator density to limit overcrowding of gambling services to the detriment of other social and economic obligations of the citizens.”
Sanyatwe also highlighted the connection between drug abuse and gambling, urging the board to incorporate strategies to mitigate these risks.
“The board needs to continuously engage and intensify its efforts to curb non-compliance and illicit business practices such as money laundering and financing of terrorism,” she concluded.
As the gaming industry continues to expand, the LGB faces the challenge of balancing growth with responsible regulation to protect players and the broader community.
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