Online Casinos 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 passed, officially legalizing sports betting in the country.

Botswana Gambling Law

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 2023, 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 users 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.

Banking Methods Available

International banking methods like Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Skrill, Neteller, etc., are available in the country. But having local banking methods can make all the difference if you don’t want to go through the trouble of signing up for a new one. The popular casinos accepting crypto are quite available in the country nowadays.

Botswana Casinos by Category

With many casinos in Botswana to choose from, we have ranked 10 of the best online casinos according to their best features. The full list is below:

Conclusion

Yes, we do. We've spent hours researching the Botswana online casinos you see on the list. We've evaluated their security, casino welcome bonuses, games, software providers, payment methods, customer support, etc., to ensure you have a good time.

If you don't like a brand from our list, you're always welcome to find your own because Botswana's options are pretty much limitless. But we highly recommend sticking to our ranking criteria to avoid any unwanted situations in the future.

FAQs

Let's go over the questions that might be clouding your head right now about the Botswanan online casinos. Let us help as we have throughout this guide.

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