Kenny Rogers famously advised gamblers to ‘know when to walk away.’ Botswana’s Members of Parliament have a different message for government: know when to fold the idea altogether.
A proposal to lower the legal gambling age from 21 to 18 has been dealt a rough hand in Parliament, with MPs warning that government risks inviting teenagers to the betting table at a time when gambling is already tightening its grip on households across the country.
The controversial proposal is contained in the Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to modernise Botswana’s gaming laws by allowing 18-year-olds to gamble legally. While legislators broadly support updating the law, many insist the age limit is one bet government should not make.
Leading the charge was Chobe MP Simasiku Mapolonka, who painted a bleak picture of gambling’s growing social cost. He said parents are already staking money meant for groceries, while some tertiary students are gambling away their allowances before lectures, leaving them battling stress, anxiety and depression. Instead of making betting easier, he argued, government should be creating jobs and opportunities that give young people something better to wager on than luck.
Okavango West MP Kenny Kapinga backed keeping the minimum age at 21, saying Parliament should strengthen safeguards rather than weaken them. Mogoditshane West MP Galenawabo Lekau agreed, arguing that young adults remain the group most vulnerable to gambling addiction.
Their concerns are reinforced by the Gambling Authority’s own figures. Chief Executive Officer Moruntshi Kemorwale says 36.6 percent of Batswana actively gamble, with financial hardship emerging as the biggest driver.
For now, MPs appear convinced that when it comes to lowering the gambling age, the safest bet is not to place one at all.