Zimbabwe’s committee on Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture Portfolio has proposed moving the Lotteries and Gaming Board (LGB) to the Sports Ministry and allocating a statutory share of gaming revenue to sports development.
The Speaker of Parliament supported the proposal, which committee head Farai Jere made during the 2027 Pre-Budget Seminar but the Home Affairs Minister is against it.
Jere stated that: “Much of the betting industry depends on sporting activity, yet sport continues to face serious financial constraints. The Committee is proposing reviewing allocation of gaming responsibilities and transferring administration of the relevant legislation and the Sports Lotteries and Gaming Board to the Ministry responsible for Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.”
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Additionally, he pointed out that any transfer would have to adhere to the relevant legal and administrative procedures, with clear accountability for revenue collection, transfers, and supported projects, as well as transparent funding arrangements.
The proposal was endorsed by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, who concurred with Sports Minister Anselem Sanyatwe that the lottery and gaming organization ought to be under the purview of the Sports Ministry. According to Mudenda, this would be in line with international norms.
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe, however, disagreed with the proposal, claiming that the Board’s enhanced performance was a result of better administration and leadership. “Lotteries and Gaming Board has always been there for years but now people can see its work because of management. People can see the work that it is now doing and believe that now there is money there. No, there is now leadership and management at the lotteries and gaming board.”
The Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gaming Act already establishes a Lotteries and Gaming Fund, whose objectives include funding sporting and recreational activities and development that has been authorized by the Sports and Recreation Commission.
