Namibia's GBN hosts licensing workshop for bookmakers and totalizators in Windhoek

The Gambling Board of Namibia (GBN) held an Industry Consultation Workshop on the Licensing of Bookmakers and Totalizators at NIPAM in Windhoek. The workshop followed the board's announcement of a regulatory session, the outlet reported.

According to the report, the gathering drew officials from government, regulators, technical specialists, and representatives from the region and beyond. Their discussions covered licensing requirements, compliance with regulations, responsible gambling, and what lies ahead for Namibia's betting sector.

Attendees included Indileni N. Daniel, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism; Ben Shikongo, Chairperson of the Gambling Board of Namibia; and John Erastus, its Acting CEO, the outlet reported. Regional regulatory and technical expertise was represented by Moruntshi Kemorwale, CEO of the Gambling Authority of Botswana; Nkoatse Ernest Mashamaite, Chief Compliance Officer of the National Gambling Board of South Africa; Pierre Otto, Managing Director of Gaming Laboratories International, LLC; and Fortune Sekgaphane, Director and Lead Consultant at Bojosi Consulting Solutions.

Representatives of the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA), the Namibia Standards Institution (NSI), the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) also attended, according to the report.

The outlet reported that Peter Emolemo Kesitilwe, CEO of the African iGaming Alliance (AiA), delivered a presentation titled “The Future of Betting in Africa: Building a Competitive, Responsible and Sustainable Industry”. Per the report, he stressed how much sustainable regulated markets depend on clear licensing frameworks, balanced taxation, consumer protection, and collaboration across sectors.

According to the report, the session created useful openings for stakeholders from the region to share African industry perspectives while Namibia works on its betting licensing framework. The report added that continued dialogue between regulators and industry players is meant to draw investment, safeguard consumers, and reinforce regulated betting across Africa.