Namibia Advances Gambling Reforms With Central Monitoring System Proposals Despite Regulator Staffing Gaps
Namibia is advancing reforms to add a central electronic monitoring system, updated online licensing, and new operator fees. The Gambling Board of Namibia is not fully operational due to unfilled staff positions, limiting oversight and collections. Implementation depends on recruitment and tender outcomes by 5 November.
SCCG Take — These proposals expose a core sequencing risk: technology upgrades cannot outrun basic regulatory capacity. Operators eyeing entry must factor in likely delays until the board achieves functional staffing and data-sharing readiness.
Namibia is progressing gambling regulation updates designed to introduce operator fees that would fund a central electronic monitoring system and revised licensing for digital platforms. The Gambling Board of Namibia, tasked with carrying out these changes, is not yet fully operational.
Indileni Daniel, the Environment, Forestry and Tourism minister, told parliament that the board still needs to recruit staff. This shortfall limits licensing, consumer education, rehabilitation programmes, regulation of gambling houses and online platforms, and the collection of fees and levies.
Proposed Reforms to Licensing and Oversight
The amendments would create new fees to support a central electronic monitoring system, or CEMS. The board has gone to market for a remote, real-time version under section 90 of the Gaming and Entertainment Control Act 2018. The tender also covers an automated licensing platform. Both deadlines have been extended to 5 November.
Proposals further include an electronic software lottery licence to regulate digital and online gaming platforms. Johannes Erastus, the board’s acting chief executive, said the structure had been informed by research and benchmarking. “Our laws, specifically the Act, require the boards to align with international best practices and to engage with regional and international colleagues and jurisdictions to inform and assist us in shaping the Namibian gambling space,” Erastus said.
Ben Shikongo, the board chairperson, stated that operators need proper licensing for genuine business and called on government to expedite gazetting of fees that were previously high. Under the 2021 regulations, casino and similar licence holders pay a levy of 10% of net monthly income while totalisator holders pay 10% of gross monthly takings.
The Capacity Gap and Path Forward
Daniel separately warned in February that weak oversight was costing Namibia revenue and exposing citizens to gambling-related social harm. Government revenue figures show a NAD5 million target for annual gambling income levies in the 2023/24 period recorded with zero collection, while NAD17 million has been gathered for the Gambling Trust Fund to date.
The changes coincide with a cooperation agreement between the board and the Namibia Revenue Agency to share data on operators and winnings. Sam Shivute, revenue commissioner, said the agency would compare this data with tax records and raise assessments where non-compliance appears.
Daniel added that “Effective regulation, especially for online gambling, is currently a challenge at the moment, not only in Namibia but globally.” As reported by iGaming Business, the overhaul remains proposals until staffing gaps are addressed and procurement completes. Submissions from October workshops are due to be consolidated in Windhoek before the next stage of gazetting or parliamentary action. Operators will track whether the board can build enforcement capacity before the new framework takes effect.
Reporting: iGaming Business (iGB)
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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