Gambling Authority Botswana Promotes Responsible Gaming Through Community Engagement in Maun

The Gambling Authority of Botswana recently hosted an engagement session with school heads and guidance and counseling teachers from various schools in the area to ensure residents have access to the resources needed for a healthy and regulated gaming environment.

Operating under the Gambling Act of 2012, the regulator’s primary goal is to integrate safer gambling education into its broader mandate of licensing and compliance, effectively linking public awareness with community-level harm reduction.

To achieve these objectives, the Authority employs a strategy of direct engagement in locations where residents naturally gather. By moving beyond traditional regulatory offices and into public spaces, the Authority can foster broader conversations about problem gambling and help residents recognize early signs of gambling-related harm.

The May outreach program in Maun featured several key activations aimed at engaging different segments of the community. On May 17, the Botswana Gambling Authority partnered with the New Jerusalem Social Club during a Sunday Soccer event, operating a public information stall and a mobile clinic to reach sports enthusiasts. Two days later, on May 19, officials held an educational engagement session for teachers and parents, focusing on gambling risks and providing them with the knowledge to make informed decisions. Continuing this momentum, on May 20, the team hosted members of the Minister’s Fraternal in Maun for a discussion on the dangers of problem gambling. The campaign concluded its May activities on the 21st with mobile clinic services at Maun Senior Secondary School and the Mall Mobile Clinic, ensuring broader public access to gambling harm awareness and support.

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During these sessions, officials directed residents toward professional support services and counseling, while offering practical self-help information and specific tools to manage betting behavior and mitigate risk. A key element of this goal-oriented approach is ensuring that those affected by gambling receive practical assistance.

This outreach is part of a broader, consistent schedule, following a similar two-day clinic held in Maun in April. By returning to the community, the Authority ensures that harm reduction tools and support remain accessible over the long term