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The government blocked 548,420 illegal betting and gambling websites between 2006 and 2025, including 84,000 in 2025 alone.
These comments echo a similar sentiment emphasised at the country’s Directorate of Communications panel event on illegal betting and addiction on 10 September. Deputy Minister of Interior Ali Çelik suggested that curbing addiction would lead to a decrease in illegal betting activity.
Çelik said: “If we can eliminate this sector, we will also minimise the funds flowing into the hands of the next criminal organisation.”
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Blok called for more decisive immediate action, saying: “The government must act now through criminal prosecutions by the Public Prosecution Service, alongside measures taken by regulators and licensed operators.
“Tackling illegal gambling requires joint responsibility from banks, payment providers and hosting services who facilitate these platforms.”
The lottery operator also criticised government proposals for a blanket advertising ban on licensed online gambling providers in June. It argued such restrictions could inadvertently drive more players towards unregulated, illegal platforms.
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Minister of Environment and Tourism Dr Wynter Mmolotsi called for Botswana to establish a dedicated rehabilitation facility for people experiencing gambling harm. He also suggested that the country consider systems capable of identifying extended gambling sessions, betting patterns and other potential indicators of harmful play.
“In other countries, such systems detect the time taken, every bet placed, how is the game played and thus help to curb addiction,” Mmolotsi said.
Kgatleng Central MP Mpho Morolong also said gambling should be understood as entertainment rather than a route to financial security.