Operating A Gambling Establishment

As the world’s second largest continent, in terms of both land mass and
population, assessing the state of gambling law in Africa on the whole is an
immense task.

After all, the area is home to no less than 54 individual sovereign nations,
each operating under its own unique system of governance and rule of law. Among
them, countries like Libya and South Africa – respectively occupying the
northern and southern ends of the continent – are about as different as any two
places on the planet.

Climate, culture, cuisine, and indeed, the law has developed distinctive
qualities in each and every one of Africa’s disparate collection of countries.

Regional Differences

1. This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating gambling facilities that offer table wagering games along with other gambling activities, such as slot machines and sports betting. These establishments often provide food and beverage services.
2. Regulation 5, Operation of Gaming Establishments Page 2 (Rev. 06/20) 5.370 Access to club venue and production of records. 5.380 Unsuitable methods of operation. 5.010 Methods of operation. It is the policy of the Commission and the Board to require that all establishments wherein gaming.

Assess a fine of 10,000 francs for operating an unlicensed gambling establishment. That means a licensing process has been put in place, and as a result, several casinos can be found in the capital city (also called Djibouti). Djibouti Palace Kempinski and the Aden Bay Casino are both attached to four.

In the Sudan, the strict tenets of Islamic law forbid all forms of gambling,
so people caught wagering on card games or sporting events are subjected to the
penalty of public lashing.

Head a thousand miles to the southeast, however, and Kenya offers 13
full-fledged casinos for gamblers to choose from, along with brick and mortar
sportsbooks operated by offshore companies, and even a fledgling online casino
industry.

Here, gambling is touted as way to boost tourism in major metropolitan areas
like the capital of Nairobi, while residents of rural enclaves enthusiastically
engage in sports betting on their favorite football clubs.

When the impact that centuries of colonial rule, only recently ended in many
cases, is added to the equation, African laws on gambling can often reflect a
hodgepodge of local and European custom.

Morocco is heavily influenced by decades of French colonial presence, and
accordingly, modern Moroccan culture fuses French staples like casino gambling
and the lottery.

Considering the sheer diversity of local custom, codified law, and societal
attitude toward gambling throughout Africa, the continent is best examined after
breaking it into regional clusters.

Therefore, this page on gambling laws in Africa will cover areas called North
Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa.

This method is used to provide a more in depth and accurate assessment of
local laws as they exist in “neighborhoods” of nations, in a manner of speaking.
We’ll offer a generalized take on the region itself, before highlighting
specific countries that are particularly amenable to the gambling industry.

For safety’s sake, we’ve flagged any nations which have received an official
Travel Warning from the U.S. State Department, Global Affairs Canada, or the
U.K. government since January of 2015.

These countries are suffering from governmental instability, ongoing armed
conflicts, outbreaks of contagious disease, and other societal issues which
Western governments deem worthy of warning their citizens traveling abroad
about. Therefore, we wouldn’t advise putting any of the red countries below on
your African gambling itinerary.

But before moving on to the minor gambling markets scattered across Africa,
we’ll focus on the three nations which make up, by far, the majority of legal
gambling activity there: South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

South Africa

Put simply, South Africa is far and away the leader in terms of the African
gambling industry.

Despite the country’s centuries long history of banning all forms of
gambling, which arose under the rule of brutal British colonization, the South
African people have always had a penchant for games of chance and skill. The
native people were forced to create their own private casinos and card clubs far
from the prying eye of colonial administrators, while the British themselves
also took to clandestine wagering when the circumstances warranted.

By the time a newly empowered democratic government was installed in 1994,
more than 2,000 illegal gambling houses were believed to be operating throughout
South Africa. The new government passed the Gambling Act of 1996 to remedy the
situation, creating licensing procedures, taxation rates, and extensive
regulations to protect consumers.

A total of 40 licenses were awarded initially, both to casinos and horse
racing tracks, and a national lottery program was also put into place. The
National Gaming Board was created to oversee the South African gambling
industry, and over time the country became home to dozens of licensed casinos.

In 2004, in an attempt to incorporate the rapidly growing field of online
gambling, the Gambling Act of 2004 was introduced to replace and repeal the
original. The National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008 was also passed to further
strengthen regulatory oversight while modernizing certain aspects of the local
industry.

In 2006 a study conducted by the National Gaming Board revealed that 96.9
percent of South Africans participated in the national lottery, whole 27.7
percent of the population played slot machines, 22.7 percent enjoyed scratch off
lottery tickets, and 11.5 percent placed wagers on horse races. Conversely, only
8.3 percent of those surveyed reported no gambling activity whatsoever, and just
5.5 percent gambled infrequently with no regular activity.

Today, gambling in South Africa is a thriving business that serves as the
economic engine for several cities and towns.

According to a study titled “Raising the Stakes in Africa Gambling Outlook:
2014 – 2018,” which was published by research firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)
in November of 2014, South African casinos generated gross gambling revenue of
13 billion South African Rand (USD$1 billion) in 2009.

That figure climbed steadily over the next five years, culminating with a
gross gambling revenue mark of R16 billion (USD$1.1 billion) in 2014. The report
projects further growth at a 3.9 percent compound annual rate to R20 billion
(USD$1.9 billion) in 2018.

South Africa is home to no less than 47 licensed casinos located in 35
different cities, ranging from small intimate venues to mega resorts on par with
those on the Las Vegas Strip.

Below you’ll find an alphabetized listing of the cities where licensed and
regulated casino properties can be found in South Africa:

• Bethlehem
• Bloemfontein
• Brakpan
• Burgersfort
• Caledon
• Cape Town (5)
• Durban (3)
• East London
• Empangeni
• Johannesburg (4)
• Kimberley (2)
• Klerksdorp
• Langebaan
• Mabopane
• Mahikeng
• Mossel Bay
• Nelspruit
• Newcastle
• Pietermaritzburg (2)
• Polokwane
• Port Edward
• Port Elizabeth (2)
• Pretoria
• Queenstown
• Secunda
• Sun City
• Temba
• Thaba Nchu
• Thohoyandou
• Upington
• Vanderbijlpark
• Viljoensdrif
• Welkom
• Witbank
• Worcester

Online gambling is also spreading rapidly throughout South Africa, and
players there are welcome to compete on globally leading platforms like
PokerStars, William Hill, and the like. The online gambling industry here
includes poker, casino gambling, and sports betting, and the South African
government also licenses domestic operators like Springbok Casino to serve
locals.

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa, and it’s also the
country’s casino capital, boasting five major casino properties within city
limits. The largest casino in all of South Africa is in Cape Town, and within
the sprawling GrandWest Casino & Entertainment World complex, players can enjoy
nearly 80 table games, a 10 table poker room, and more than 2,500 gaming, slot,
and video poker machines.

The worldly metropolitan center of Johannesburg offers world class casino
amenities, with Emperors Palace Hotel Casino Resort, Montecasino, and Gold Reef
City Casino all standing as top of the line venues. In all, the city has nearly
6,000 gaming machines, 189 table games, and 23 poker tables to choose from.

Poker is especially popular in Johannesburg, and the city plays host to
annual stops from prestigious series like the World Poker Tour (WPT).

Kenya

Kenya is home to the second highest casino count on the continent, with 13
establishments found in the country.

Per the PWC report, Kenya’s gross gambling revenue nearly doubled from 111
million South African Rand (approximately USD$8 million) in 2009 to R204 million
(USD$15 million) in 2014. The figure increased each year over that span as well,
signaling a consistent rate of growth for Kenya’s casino industry.

Operating A Gambling Establishment Definition

Unfortunately for foreign players, travelling to Kenya is not advised by the
State Department, due to the threat to life and limb posed by Islamic inspired
terror group al Shabaab. Their 2013 attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi made
international headlines, after more than 60 shoppers were killed and 150 more
wounded.

At a time when the impact of religious violence is being felt all over the
globe, the risks entailed by gambling in Kenya at this time simply aren’t worth
it.

With that said, keep Kenya in mind as a potential gambling destination at
some point down the road. If and when the political and social upheaval there
come to a peaceful resolution, Kenya’s collection of 13 casinos makes it prime
real estate for adventure seeking players.

Nigeria

Nigeria has just three operational casinos, with two in the capital city of
Abuja and one more in the metropolitan center of Lagos.

As one of the strongest economies on the continent, Nigeria saw gaming
revenue grow from R243 million (USD$18 million) to R450 million (USD$33 million)
over the same 2009 through 2014 period. With 10 fewer casinos, Nigeria’s
gambling sector managed to outpace Kenya’s by USD$10 million – demonstrating the
industry’s viability during times of peace and prosperity.

But like Kenya, the people of Nigeria have been succumbed to brazen attacks
on “Western” interest by an Islamic terror group. In this case, Boko Haram has
made increasing encroachments in recent years, including bombings and massacres
targeting foreign tourists.

Although the Nigerian military announced that Boko Haram had been “crushed”
and eradicated from the country in December of 2016, the State Department’s
warning to travelers abroad remains in place.

Hopefully, in the near future, Nigeria can move beyond the reach of groups
like Boko Haram and continue the rapid advancement it enjoyed in recent decades.
If that occurs, the gambling community may very well have a choice landing spot
in Nigeria – but as of today, it’s just too dangerous.

North Africa

• Algeria
• Egypt
• Libya
• Morocco
• Tunisia

The northern region of Africa, also described as the Saharan region due to
the desert of the same name covering most its land mass, mostly consists of
countries that lean towards the Middle East in terms of religious and political
structure. With coastlines hugging the Mediterranean Sea, these countries are
also heavily influenced by centuries of contact with European culture.

Nations like Egypt and Libya have recently experienced traumatic ousters of
their federal government, thrusting the state of affairs there into a chaotic
state for years to come. When the effects of militant Islam are considered,
gambling law in these countries is irrelevant from a practical sense.

Displaying the diversity of Africa though, the Northern region is also where
one small coastal nation that permit gambling has emerged.

Morocco

In Morocco, the Casino de Marrakech has been in business since 1952 – four
years before the country gained its independence – making it one of the most
venerable gambling venues in all of Africa. This would seem to be at odds with
Morocco’s overwhelmingly Muslim population, but a decree issued in 2002 by the
Prime Minister made casino gambling a legal activity.

Of course, the more than 90 percent of Moroccans who practice Islam don’t
participate in the pursuit, making the casino industry here more of a tourist
attraction than anything else.

Today, Morocco is home to eight modern casino resorts, including the Mazagan
Resort and Casino in Casablanca, and the Mövenpick Hotel & Casino Malabata in
Tangier. Overall, the cities of Agadir (3), Marrakech (2), Casablanca, El
Jadida, and Tangier are your best bets to get in the game.

As for those games, the classic casino canon of blackjack, baccarat,
roulette, poker, and slot machines can all be found in abundance at Moroccan
casinos.

Additionally, the Moroccan government has supervised a national lottery since
1972.

Sports betting in Morocco is technically legal, but strict oversight limits
the sector to wagers on the national football team and major international
tournaments like the World Cup.

Online gambling is also legal in Morocco, so players regularly access
international sites like Royal Panda, Vera & John, and Betsson to participate in
internet based casino games.

Finally, poker players from all over the Mediterranean region flock to Casino
de Marrakech for the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOP C) International event,
which is held between January 19th and 22nd in 2017.

West Africa

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Equatorial Guinea
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Ivory Coast
• Liberia
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Togo

The West African region includes more than a dozen countries clustered along
the Atlantic coast, the Gulf of Guinea, and the alternating deserts, savannahs,
and jungles of the interior.

Culturally speaking, these nations tend to identify more as traditionally
African than their neighbors to the north, as the influences of ancient empires
like the Mali and Ghana people are still prevalent. Even so, more than 70
percent of the population in West African nations are adherents of Islam, so the
previously discussed aversion to all forms of gambling still apply.

Colonization by various European forces – including the French, English,
Dutch, Danish, and Spanish – continued from the 19th century through World War
II. And as one might expect, this amalgamation of local and foreign customs has
combined to create an eclectic patchwork of local laws which cover casinos, card
games, sports betting, and other wagering.

Benin

Moving down the list, the tiny country of Benin – where French is still the
official language – a 2001 law known as Loi N° 2002 28 du Portant
Réglementation des Jeux de Hasard, D’argent et de Paris en République du Bénin.
Translated as “Law No. 2002 28 of 29 Regulating Gambling, Money and Gambling in
the Republic of Benin,” this national gaming act permits licensed casinos to
operate there.

Under the law, only state operated casinos are free to provide real money
gambling services, and even these are limited to certain hours of the day. As a
result, several unlicensed casinos have sprung up over the last decade to meet
growing demand.

The one licensed gambling establishment in Benin is the Benin Marina Casino
Hotel in Cotonou, the country’s largest city. Here, players can enjoy blackjack,
slot machines, and American style double zero roulette.

Ghana

The former British colony of Ghana is another small nation with roots dating
back to ancient empires like the Ashanti.

As the first African colony to achieve independence, in 1957, Ghana has had a
head start when it comes to establishing the governmental framework needed to
properly regulate gambling. Of course, Ghana wasn’t immune to the societal
tumult that plagued many African nations in the 1960s through 1990s, but today
it occupies a niche as one of the more modernized areas in the region.

The current legal guidelines for gambling in Ghana were established a decade
ago, when the Gaming Act 721 of 2006 was passed through parliament, but laws on
the subject have been on the books dating back to the republic’s founding.

The Lotto and Betting Act 94 was authorized in 1960, creating a national
lottery system as a way of generating tax revenue. During the nation’s infancy,
Ghana passed laws like the Lotteries and Betting Act 31 of 1960 to address games
of chance, the Football Pools Authority Act 78 of 1961for sports betting, the
Gambling Machines Decree 174 of 1973 on slot and machines, and the Casino
Licensing Decree 320 of 1975.

Senegal

The largest city in Senegal is its capital Dakar, where three major casinos
operate under full supervision of the law.

Casino du Cap Vert, Casino du Port, and Terrou bi Hotel collectively house
270 slot machines and 10 table games. The games available include blackjack,
roulette, video poker, poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and bingo.

The country also runs a state lottery program known as LONASE, which was
established in 1966, but when Law 87 43 was passed in 1987 the Senegalese
government assumed full control. Today, LONASE conducts lottery drawings and
manages brick and mortar betting shops that accept wagers on horse racing.

Full disclosure: Senegal should be considered a borderline redline country,
because travel warnings have been issued for certain regions – namely the
Casamance area. Dakar is ostensibly safe from the violence and crime plaguing
the Casamance, so we opted to include Senegal here because of its permissive
gambling laws and multiple casino properties. Even so, any travel to Senegal
should be undertaken with the appropriate level of caution.

Sierra Leone

The state of gambling regulation in Sierra Leone is unclear at the moment, so
players should exercise caution.

A national lottery program has been in place there for a while, but Managing
Director of the Sierra Leone State Lottery Charles S. Kamara went on record in
2015 to say that six years had passed without action since he requested the
establishment of a gambling regulatory body.

Without any progress on that front, gambling in Sierra Leone carries more
risk than the game’s odds against.

The Bintumani Hotel and Casino in Aberdeen Hill is Sierra Leone’s lone
casino, so if you happen to make your way here, head to the Western Area and try
your luck.

Togo

Other than a single four star hotel and casino resort in the capital of Lomé,
there’s not much to say about the gambling industry in the tiny nation of Togo.

The Hotel Palm Beach is a glitzy and glamorous destination for jet setting
travelers to West Africa, and the attached casino offers a nice reprieve for
slot machine and table game fans.

Aside from the Hotel Palm Beach, however, Togo’s gambling industry operates
on an unregulated basis – so in this case, there’s really only one game in town.

Central Africa

• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Congo
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Gabon
• Rwanda / Burundi

Unfortunately, the heart of Africa is currently subject to the whims of
warlords, famine, and economic instability – putting six of the seven listed
countries in the red.

Boko Haram roams free in Cameroon and Chad, the government in the Central
African Republic was recently overthrown, and military clashes between the two
Congos and Burundi make travel to this region a dangerous proposition.

Within the chaos there is a lone bastion of modernity and prosperity, as rich
oil reserves have transformed Gabon into one of Africa’s emerging economic
powers. As is usually the case when a populace gains access to more
discretionary income, gambling has become more popular with the Gabonese people
in recent years.

Gabon

One of the region’s few vibrant economies, Gabon is a smallish coastal nation
with an extended shoreline accessing the Gulf of Guinea.

As mentioned above, extensive oil deposits recently discovered in Gabon have
fueled an economic boom, and an increased affinity for gambling is the result.

In 2005 the government authorized Réglementation Générale des Jeux de
Hazard, which translates from French to English as “General Regulation on
Games of Chance.” Under the law, casino, racetrack, and sportsbook operators in
Gabon are subject to a 4.5 percent tax on gambling related revenues.

The capital city of Libreville is home to five major casino resorts:

1. Casino Croisette
2. Le Meridien Re Ndama Hotel Casino
3. Novotel Rapontchombo Hotel Casino
4. Okoume Palace Inter Continental Hotel Casino
5. Sofitel Dialogue Hotel Casino

Additionally, a sixth casino can be found in the city of Port Gentil.

East Africa

• Djibouti
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• Uganda

The Eastern portion of Africa is similar to the Northern region, in that both
areas share cultural, linguistic, and legal customs with the Middle East.

Only 200 hundred miles or so of Red Sea separate African countries like the
Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia from places like Saudi Arabia and Yemen. As such,
the aforementioned ban on gambling activities in Islamic ruled lands applies
throughout much of the East Africa region, with five of the eight countries here
falling on the red list as unsafe zones.

Three East African nations are amenable to gambling, however, so travelers to
the area will have at least a few options to choose from.

Djibouti

Despite having 94 percent of the population as practitioners of Islam, the
religion’s prohibition on gambling hasn’t been adopted by the government of
Djibouti.

This small country on the Horn of Africa has regulations on the books which
assess a fine of 10,000 francs for operating an unlicensed gambling
establishment. That means a licensing process has been put in place, and as a
result, several casinos can be found in the capital city (also called Djibouti).

Djibouti Palace Kempinski and the Aden Bay Casino are both attached to four
star hotel properties, but the action is typically limited to slot machines
only. You’ll find 10 table games running in the whole city, as opposed to 65
slots.

Apart from the casino industry, other forms of gambling like sports betting
and bingo are not regulated by Djibouti’s government.

Tanzania

When most Westerners envision Africa, the typical image that comes to mind is
the wide open plains of the Serengeti.

Located on the southeastern coast of the continent, Tanzania is where
Serengeti National Park hosts safari fans from around the world. Another icon of
Africa can be found in Tanzania, with Kilimanjaro National Park providing the
setting for enduring works of literature by Ernest Hemingway.

By virtue of a thriving tourist industry and an advanced democratic
government relative to regional neighbors, Tanzania has developed into an
emerging economic power. And like Gabon, as the Tanzanian people have expanded
their financial horizons, entertainment sectors like the casino gambling and
sports betting industries have flourished in kind.

Only a few years after declaring independence from Great Britain, the
fledgling Tanzanian government passed the Pools and Lotteries Act of 1967 to
regulate the national lottery program. A second law, the National Lotteries Act
of 1974, was also passed to amend and enhance existing provisions.

By 1992 a package of laws was enacted to liberalize the Tanzanian economy,
with the National Investments Promotions and Protection Act of 1992 producing
increased investment in hotel and casino construction. With the goal of boosting
tourism to metropolitan areas like Dar es Salaam and Arusha, the Tanzanian
government invited foreign entities to compete for the rights to build new
casinos.

As the industry expanded, the National Policy on Gaming Activities was
developed to address issues like tax distribution and regulation. On July 1st of
2003 the Gaming Act Cap. 41 bill was passed, which created the Gaming Board of
Tanzania to oversee regulation of the gambling industry.

The largest city in Tanzania is Dar es Salaam, and no less than seven casinos
can be found there, including the five star Palm Beach Hotel and Casino and
Princess Casino. Collectively, the city’s casino sector spreads more than 650
slot machines and 55 table games. The largest casino in Dar es Salaam is the
appropriately named Le Grande Casino, which houses 205 slot machines and 15
table games.

You can also enjoy regulated casino gaming at the two casinos in Arusha
(Prime Casino and Safari Casino), and the one in Mwanza (Kings Casino).

Sports betting and bingo halls are also regulated by the Gaming Board of
Tanzania, although they aren’t nearly as prevalent or popular.

Uganda

The gambling situation in Uganda resembles that of Australia at the moment,
as both countries are grappling with the consequences of addiction and
overexposure.

Under the provisions of the National Lotteries Act and the Gaming and Pool
Betting (Control and Taxation) Act of 2012, regulations on the promotion of
gambling – especially sports betting – were tightened considerably.

Even so, a 2015 profile published by Vice News highlighted the
proliferation of problem gambling throughout Uganda, where more than 50 licensed
operators maintain over 1,000 sports betting shops, small scale casinos, slot
parlors, and bingo halls.

But according to Manzi Tumubweinee, who serves as Chairman of Uganda’s
National Lotteries Board, more than 400 gambling operations in the country are
currently conducting illegal enterprises. Tumumweinee instituted a number of
reforms to curb illegal gambling, including stricter oversight of the licensing
process and stiff fines for violators. He also sought to reduce the impact of
problem gambling, issuing a stern warning to Ugandan youth:

As Tumubweinee states, Uganda’s 12 land based casinos collectively generate
150 billion Ugandan shillings’ (USD$41 million) worth of annual revenue.

Uganda’s capital and largest city is Kampala, where eight different casino
properties are located. Properties like Kings Casino, Taj Mahal Casino, and
Casino Simba are all quite popular with international tourists, and each
provides the full spectrum of classic casino favorites. Within the Kampala city
limits you’ll find nearly 260 slot machines and 80 table games.

As mentioned, sports betting is also very popular throughout Uganda, so you
should be able to wager on international football matches and the like with next
to no hassle.

Southern Africa

• Angola
• Botswana
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Swaziland
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

As one makes their way southward from the heart of Africa, the continent
takes on the climate and culture that Westerners have come to expect.

Wildlife preserves offer animals like lions, elephants, and giraffes a
reprieve from decades of overhunting, pristine savannah and jungle ecosystems
are intertwined, and a sense of modernity returns within the confines of major
urban areas.

Of course, a few countries here did make the red list based on the actions of
repressive dictatorial regimes, but for the most part Southern Africa is the
most progressive part of the continent.

We already covered the crown jewel of the continent’s gambling scene – South
Africa – near the top of the page, but the region known as Southern Africa is
where several advanced nations are relying on gambling to spur economic growth.

Botswana

As a direct northern neighbor of South Africa, the country of Botswana has
witnessed the transformative effects casino gambling can have on the tourism
industry firsthand.

Accordingly, the government of Botswana has readily embraced regulation of
the gambling industry, especially in recent years as the country has become one
of the fastest growing economies on the planet. Thanks to an abundance of
mining, farmland, and other natural resources, Botswana has been able to invest
in the development of a vibrant and modern gambling industry to accentuate
tourism in the area.

The government passed the Gambling Act of 2012 to consolidate oversight of
all forms of gambling, creating a governing entity known as Gambling Authority
Botswana. Previously, only land based casinos were regulated by the government,
but the Gaming Act of 2012 brought sports betting, lotteries, bingo, poker, and
even online and mobile gambling into the fold.

The Act’s provisions didn’t go into effect until February of 2016, at which
time Thulisizwe Johnson – Chief Executive of Gambling Authority Botswana – spoke
with local media to discuss the new procedures:

All the new requirements are meant to curb illegal gambling and protect the
licensed operators who do not only pay tax but also have jobs to protect.

Gamblers can currently find 10 land based casinos scattered throughout
Botswana, with three in the capital and largest city of Gaborone, two in
Francistown, and one each in Jwaneng, Lobatse, Letlhakane, Palapye, and Selebi
Phikwe.

When playing in Gaborone, you’ll have access to 361 slot and video poker
machines, and 25 table games.

Malawi

As one of the more underdeveloped nations in Southern Africa, the tiny
landlocked country of Malawi wouldn’t appear to be a hotbed for the gambling
industry.

And indeed, the country is home to just a single casino – the Casino Marina
at Golden Peacock Hotel in the capital city of Lilongwe.

Even so, the Malawi Gaming Board was created via passage of the Gaming Act
No. 26 of 1996, and today the regulatory body is responsible for licensing and
taxing that venue, along with sportsbooks and national lottery vendors.

So while the gambling industry in Malawi isn’t a major player when compared
to regional neighbors, visitors here can at least feel safe and secure knowing
that all wagering activity has been monitored by the country’s Gaming Board for
two decades.

Namibia

In a unique situation, Namibia was actually colonized by a fellow African
nation, when South Africa assumed control over the territory after the Germans
were defeated in World War I.

Today, Namibia’s culture is inextricably linked with both German and South
African influences, as evidenced by the 90 percent prevalence of Christianity as
the country’s main religious affiliation.

Having only achieved independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibia is one
of the youngest countries in the world, but that didn’t stop government leaders
from passing the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act of 1994 to regulate gambling
there.

Unfortunately, the governmental framework in place in Namibia at the time
wasn’t prepared to cope with the demands of industry regulation, and in just a
few years, more than 10,000 unlicensed slot machines were estimated to be
operating in the country.

With problem gambling becoming rampant as a result, the Gaming and
Entertainment Control Bill was authorized in 2014 to amend and improve the
original Casinos and Gambling Houses Act. The legal gambling age was raised from
18 to 21, and local authorities were assigned broad new powers to arrest illicit
gambling operators.

Today, the capital city of Windhoek boasts two resort style casino venues:
the Desert Jewel Casino and the AVANI Windhoek Hotel & Casino. The Desert Jewel
Casino is the largest in Namibia, spreading 162 gaming machines and eight tables
games over 15,000 square feet of floor space.

A third licensed establishment (Mermaid Casino) can be found in Swakopmund.

Swaziland

Most gambling activities in Swaziland, aside from the national lottery
program, had been strictly supervised and largely prohibited for much of the
country’s history.

The ban dated back to the Crimes Act of 1889, instituted during a period of
British colonial rule, which precluded residents from “keeping a gambling house”
or “gambling in public view.”

New laws were set forth as Swaziland entered the infancy of its independence,
including the Casino Act of 1963, the Lotteries Act of 1963, and the Bookmakers’
and Taxation Act of 1970.

All three of these laws were recently repealed, however, through the passage
of the Gaming Act of 2010.

Today, three licensed casino resorts are operational in Swaziland, with the
tourism heavy cities of Mbabane (Royal Valley Sun Spa & Resort), Nhlangano
(Casino Royale), and Piggs Peak (Piggs Peak Hotel and Casino) at the center of
the industry.

The largest such venue is the Royal Valley Sun Spa & Resort in Mbabane, where
players can enjoy 11 table games, a pair of poker tables, and more than 150 slot
and video poker machines.

Zambia

Recognized as one of the safest countries for international tourists in all
of Africa, the country of Zambia proudly boasts one of the Seven Natural Wonders
of the World in Victoria Falls.

Along with the world’s largest waterfall, Zambia offers visitors pristine
natural scenery, an abundance of wildlife, and even a pair of full-fledged
casino resorts.

Casino gambling was illegal in Zambia, under the Casino and Gaming Machines
(Prohibition), but a 1992 law was passed to repeal that ban and set up a
regulatory framework.

The Great Wall Casino is located in the capital city of Lusaka, and it
contains space for 12 table games, two poker tables, and 70 slot and video poker
machines.

The New Fairmont Hotel & Casino in Livingstone houses 30 machines and six
table games.

The gambling industry in Zambia could be poised for further expansion,
however, as Charles Banda – Minister of Tourism And Arts – pledged to create a
National Gambling Board in October of 2016.

Per a report published by the the Zambia News And Information Service,

Conclusion

Gambling laws in Africa range from some of the strictest in the world to some
of the loosest, depending on where you’re located. If you live in Africa it’s
important to check your local laws before gambling because some of the penalties
are severe.

If you’re traveling in Africa not only do you need to be aware of the local
gambling laws, you also need to find out about local instability and dangers.
This page is designed as a guide to help you, but parts of Africa have unstable
governments and can be dangerous to outsiders.

By Reid Jowers

Reporting Texas

Texas Card House General Manager James Combs is seen on March 2, 2019. Texas Card House is a private club and requires a daily, monthly or yearly membership. Brittany Mendez/Reporting Texas

On a Monday afternoon in March, Will, a 24-year-old software engineer in Austin, was relaxing during a break from a poker game at the Texas Card House in North Austin, where brightly lit rooms and affable service are a contrast to the image some people might have of a gambling establishment.

Will (his last name has been omitted to protect his privacy) started playing poker five years ago when friends introduced him to the game. He loved it.

Operating A Gambling Establishment Pros And Cons

“I like that it’s a beatable game. You focus and practice to get good. It’s a matter of skill rather than luck like blackjack or other games,” Will said.

Operating A Gambling Establishment Business

The Texas Constitution prohibits most forms of gambling. The few exceptions include private gambling at home, betting on sanctioned horse and dog races, the state lottery and gambling at one of the three Indian casinos in the state. During the last several years, some gamblers have started using a loophole in state law to play cards for money at so-called card clubs, such as Texas Card House.

In 2015, Austin-born Texas hold’em poker player Sam von Kennel noticed a legal technicality that would allow him to open a gambling establishment. According to state law, gambling houses can operate as long as they don’t take a percentage of the pot. Von Kennel had an idea. Instead of taking a cut of the pot, he would charge membership dues and hourly or half-hourly fees for players to participate in a game. Based on his idea, von Kennel opened Post Oak in Houston, the first private social card club in Texas. Since then, about 30 other membership-only card clubs have sprung up around the state, he says.

On a typical weekend, Texas Card House hosts as many as 100 members at a time — a mostly male crowd that is diverse in ethnicity and age. Some poker games, the ones popular among regulars, have a buy-in of $300 and a potential payout of a few thousand dollars. Lower-stakes games have buy-ins as small as $40.

Operating A Gambling Establishment For A

States that allow gambling still make a killing off casinos compared to the card houses in Texas. For example, Louisiana and Oklahoma annually average $2.4 billion and $4.4 billion, respectively, according to state revenue reports.

A tournament takes place at Texas Card House in Austin on March 2, 2019. Brittany Mendez/Reporting Texas

Although Texas poker rooms operate in a legal gray area, there is precedent for them elsewhere. California card houses that operate the same way are legally recognized by the state. Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Montana and Washington also have card houses, but no other states do, according to the American Gaming Association’s 2018 State of the States report.

Not everyone agrees that membership-based gambling house are legal.

One of the naysayers is Rob Kohler, a consultant and lobbyist for the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission.

“It would require a constitutional amendment to make commercial gambling legal in Texas,” Kohler said. “Private home gambling is legal, but these poker rooms are not that. They are merely hiding as a private establishment, but in reality they are commercial.”

Rodger Weems, chairman of Texans Against Gambling, argued in a 2018 Baptist Standard article that card houses run afoul of the law. According to Texans Against Gambling’s website, its mission is to “Improve the lives of people by freeing them from the lower standard of living, exploitation, and fraud that commercial gambling spreads.”

Justin Northcutt, co-owner of the Texas Card House, says Kohler and Weems are playing a bad hand.

“We work very closely with state and local officials and law enforcement to make sure they know how we do business,” Northcutt said. The business pays sales taxes, payroll taxes and its share of property taxes, he said. Northcutt declined to say how much it pays.

“It’s not a dark, hidden, dangerous underground place,” he said.

The appeal of membership-based card houses isn’t gambling, but the skill and challenge of poker, he added.

Poker dealer Delia Atwood collects poker chips at her table during a tournament for the Social Card Clubs of Texas, a non-profit formed in 2018 for social clubs and card playing enthusiasts, at the Texas Card House in Austin on March 2, 2019. Brittany Mendez/Reporting Texas

Mike Robinson, a Wesleyan University psychology professor, has been studying gambling addiction for a decade and a half through experiments on rodents.

“We haven’t gotten the rodents to play poker, but the idea is the same,” Robinson said. Success in gambling — winning or almost winning a hand in a poker game, for example — activates the brain’s reward system, and addicts keep gambling in an attempt to reactivate those pathways.

Texas Card House revokes or bans members that show gambling addiction or bad behavior, Northcutt said, and the business is a part of the Social Card Clubs of Texas, a non-profit formed in 2018 that seeks to promote responsible card playing and create better communities.

Kohler, of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, doubts the validity of these claims. He and the Christian Life Commission want to explicitly outlaw card houses, but since the Attorney General’s Office has refused to offer an opinion on the matter, the fate of these establishments is in the hands of local law enforcement.

Law enforcement across the state has been mostly tolerant, but in 2017, CJ’s Card Room in Dallas was raided by police and effectively shut down. Anti-gambling proponents such as Texas Against Gambling have called for law enforcement to continue raids.

Will said the risk of a police raid doesn’t bother him. “I don’t think most people will either,” he said. “It won’t matter because people will still find a way to play.”