CONFERENCE REPORT
Time for Africa? Regulator’s big beasts visit Botswana
W ith a population of 1.1 billion many of whom live in developing nations, it is perhaps surprising that Africa could not be found a berth in the original list of BRICs. It is, of course, not a single nation (South Africa was added later to the BRIC grouping of nations), and its fragmentation into up to 55 separate nations masks a growth story that rivals many other regions. As far as its gambling industry is concerned, its growth trajectory has been almost relentlessly positive (Covid 19 impacts aside) and it now represents an opportunity for those operating in other markets which may have stalled or even gone backwards. For visitors from Europe, not only is Africa an expansion opportunity, it is also a refreshingly welcoming destination with a clear focus on the benefits of legalized gambling in terms of foreign investment tax, and employment which have been quietly forgotten in Europe. All of which goes some way to explain why the International Association of Gaming Regulators brought its 2023 conference to Botswana. IAGR has a track record of taking its conferences
to the far-flung corners of the world. Major cities in the US, Europe and Australia have hosted in the past ten years, but they have also visited Lima, Peru and Montego Bay, Jamaica. They have been to Africa twice before, but 2023 was the first time the regulator’s association ventured outside of South Africa. As if to emphasise the genuine welcome for legalized gambling, the conference was opened by none other than His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi. “The gambling industry in Botswana,” he said, “is part of our objective to transform and become a high-income economy by 2036. We are implementing an extensive licensing plan balanced with a robust responsible gambling campaign to harness the industry’s potential to generate sustainable employment opportunities which we estimate at approaching 3000 direct jobs. Its growth will bring investment into the country creating further new jobs and developing the kind of
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IMGL MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2024
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