TLDR
- Licensed operators in Eswatini want the government to define how long self-exclusion periods should last
- A validation workshop was held at Sibane Sami Hotel in Ezulwini to review new draft gambling regulations
- The Gaming Board will manage a central self-exclusion register and notify operators when players apply
- Excluded players who enter gambling premises face fines up to E2,000 or up to two years in prison
- New fee schedules are proposed to speed up licence applications and renewals
Eswatini’s licensed gambling operators are calling on the government to set clear rules around self-exclusion periods, after gaps in the country’s new draft regulations left them unsure how to handle player requests.
The issue came to light during a validation workshop held at Sibane Sami Hotel in Ezulwini last week. The session brought operators and officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs together to review rules designed to bring the Gaming Control Act of 2021 into full effect.
One operator raised a direct problem during the session. Some players ask to be excluded from gambling, then return hours later wanting to play again. Without a fixed timeframe in the draft, operators do not know how long to enforce a self-exclusion request.
Ministry officials confirmed the draft does not set a minimum exclusion period. They said operators may use their own judgment, particularly when a player wants to be excluded from just one venue rather than the whole market.
Gaming Board to Run Central Self-Exclusion Register
Under the proposed rules, the Gaming Board will manage a central register of excluded players and notify operators when a request is approved. Operators will not be expected to track applications themselves, but must act once they receive official notice.
The framework allows a person, or a third party acting for them, to ask the Board to block access to all licensed gambling premises and activities. Once added to the register, the restrictions stay in place until the player formally applies for removal.
Penalties for breaking the rules are written into the draft. An excluded person who enters or takes part in gambling “may be liable to a fine not exceeding E2,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.”
Broader Push for Gambling Reform in Eswatini
The new rules come after pressure from Parliament for tighter oversight of the gambling sector. Online casino-style games remain illegal in Eswatini, even as digital betting platforms have grown.
Officials reminded operators at the workshop that all four licensed companies hold bookmaker-only licences. These do not cover online slots or virtual table games.
Legal Advisor Nonophile Mavuso addressed another frustration at the workshop. She said the current system is slowed down because some fees are not set in law, which delays licence applications and renewals.
Operators have struggled to understand why approvals take so long, according to Mavuso. The proposed regulations introduce a full fee schedule to help the Ministry and the Gaming Board process applications faster.
Mavuso confirmed the new framework does not create fresh licence categories. Instead, it aims to tighten existing processes and strengthen compliance across the sector.
The regulations are still in draft form, with stakeholder input from the workshop expected to shape the final version.
