List of Online Casinos in Botswana

History of gambling in Botswana

There is not much information regarding the gambling scene in the country before 1961. It was the year when gambling was legalized for the first time by the state. The Betting Act made it possible and mostly covered lotteries at the time. Online casino lottery sites, however, are still unregulated.

At that time, Botswana was still a part of the British Empire. In 1966, the country was free and became a sovereign nation in Africa. But the government didn’t take any steps to modernize the gambling laws until 2021. It was the year the Gambling Act was ed, officially legalizing sports betting in the country.

Gambling laws in Botswana

As you can see, we haven’t raised the concern about online gambling yet. It’s because that paradigm is still unregulated. Punters and casino players can participate freely in international online casino sites.

The local operators must seek a license from the Botswana Gambling Authority to operate legally within the country. The government didn’t bother with online gambling because internet penetration was very low back in the day.

Even in 2025, the penetration rate is only 61%, which is very low compared to the rest of the world. But it’s gradually increasing every year so we can expect a move from the government very soon.

Land-based casinos in Botswana

The online gambling paradigm might be unregulated, but the brick-and-mortar establishments are quite well-regulated. There are over ten land-based casinos in the country, spread across Gaborone, the capital city. And a casino cannot be standalone according to the law. It must be part of a hotel or resort.

The future of online gambling in Botswana

As we said, the number of internet s in the country is rising exponentially. The number is currently at 1.48 million, and it’s only destined to grow from here. If we know this, there’s no doubt that the government also knows it.

As gambling is already legal and well-regulated, there’s no reason for the government to skip online gambling. You can expect new press releases shortly regarding the update. Also, new operators are constantly penetrating the market in search of new players. The surge in revenue should also influence the policymakers’ decisions.

Online casinos in Africa per country