The Zimbabwean government has issued a stern directive aimed at cracking down on illegal gambling activities across the country.
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe recently raised concerns about unauthorized betting shops and casinos operating without the required permits from the Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gaming Board. The government has taken a very strict stance on the issue.
Minister Kazembe said several gambling establishments have been identified as operating outside the law. According to him, these operators have not obtained the licenses prescribed in Section 31 of the Lotteries and Gambling Act, Chapter 10:26.
“It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage that some individuals and organizations are setting up gambling operations and opening gambling stores and casinos without approval from the LGB of Zimbabwe as required by law,” Minister Kazembe openly stated this problem in a public address. It is indeed occurring, with illegal gambling activities in the state not decreasing over time.
Emphasizing the risks associated with illegal gambling, Minister Kazembe stressed that such activities pose a threat to public safety and undermine efforts to regulate the gambling industry. He urged the citizens of the country to be conscious and emphasized the need to exercise caution and refrain from interacting with any illegal gambling establishments.
On behalf of the authority, the Minister requested the following: “We urge the public to exercise caution and avoid patronizing these illegal gambling stores and casinos. We will work with the relevant authorities to ensure that those operating outside the law are brought to justice.”
Kazembe emphasized that the Zimbabwean government is fully prepared to immediately halt all ongoing unauthorized gambling operations and prosecute those responsible. The responsible authorities are committed to ensuring that gambling activities in Zimbabwe are conducted within a safe and regulated framework. Given the damage caused to the country and individual citizens by illegal gambling activities, such a tough government policy is more than justified.
It’s worth noting that Minister Kazembe previously allocated three Toyota GD6 cars and 120 million dollars to the services to counter illegal gambling, demonstrating the government’s commitment to this issue. However, even with these investments, the majority of Zimbabwean gambling enthusiasts still prefer to play via the Internet. If you study the statistics of local search queries, you can find many well-known operators with licenses from foreign regulators.
Especially stands out 1win – online casino, which is most popular due to the widest portfolio of gambling games. To access them, it is enough to pass registration online 1Win, for which you need to fill in a few fields in the appropriate window and create a password. The whole process takes literally a minute, after which thousands of games are available directly from phones.
It’s clear that with such simplicity, any resident of the country can start playing in just a minute. Even mass blocking of such sites may not be effective, as they have been operating through mirrors for a long time. However, the legalization of these games could lead to an increase in tax revenues for the budget, which is crucial for the country’s economy. This potential financial boost could be a silver lining in the fight against illegal gambling.
