ZIMBABWE GOVERNMENT last week raised licensing fees for all gambling houses, lotteries, casinos and betting shops which are now pegged at $250 000.
The country has experienced a surge in betting related activities which the government wish to cash on. Few years ago, betting was not as popular as it is now but the rise of online casinos and arrival of fast mobile internet has encouraged a lot of people, mainly young males to try their like in lotto.
This trend has been observed in many African countries.
The latest fee changes were carried in an extraordinary government gazette by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, with the new rates coming into effect immediately. The notice say:
It is hereby notified that the minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has, in terms of section 65 of the Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26] as read with sections 16 and 23 of the betting and totalizator Control Act [Chapter 10:02], made the (reviewed the fees) regulations.
The processing of a permanent casino licence and lottery licence applications were fixed at $250 000.
The renewal of a totalisator licence, gaming house licence, bookmaker’s licence; and the verifying and processing of these licence applications is now fixed at $50 000.
