State lotto in the pipeline

A STATE lottery for Namibia is closer to becoming a reality.

Government also plans to lift a moratorium on new gambling licences, which has been in place for nearly ten years in the coming months. Minister of Environment and Tourism Willem Konjore informed MPs in the National Assembly on Wednesday that he would soon table amendments to the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act to close certain loopholes to prevent illegal gambling and to drop the ban on the issuance of new licences.The newly appointed lottery board, Konjore said, was working on developing Namibia’s first State lottery.The proceeds from the State lottery will be deposited in a special fund dedicated to social development.Konjore revealed this during his budget motivation for his Ministry of N$141 million for the 2006-7 financial year.State revenue from gambling amounts to about N$20 million a year.Cabinet agreed in August 2004 already to lift the ban on gambling licences.Since the promulgation of the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act in 1994, 260 gambling houses licences and three casino licences were issued.No new licences have been issued since 1996, when Cabinet established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the detrimental impact gambling could have on society and the ease with which gambling licences were being issued.Illegal gambling has largely been attributed to a situation in which only those wanting to operate a gambling house need a licence, while suppliers of gambling machines do not need one to buy or supply machines.This has meant that anyone can buy a gambling machine and supply it to a venue, whether the venue is licensed for gambling or not.Minister of Environment and Tourism Willem Konjore informed MPs in the National Assembly on Wednesday that he would soon table amendments to the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act to close certain loopholes to prevent illegal gambling and to drop the ban on the issuance of new licences.The newly appointed lottery board, Konjore said, was working on developing Namibia’s first State lottery.The proceeds from the State lottery will be deposited in a special fund dedicated to social development.Konjore revealed this during his budget motivation for his Ministry of N$141 million for the 2006-7 financial year.State revenue from gambling amounts to about N$20 million a year.Cabinet agreed in August 2004 already to lift the ban on gambling licences.Since the promulgation of the Casinos and Gambling Houses Act in 1994, 260 gambling houses licences and three casino licences were issued.No new licences have been issued since 1996, when Cabinet established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the detrimental impact gambling could have on society and the ease with which gambling licences were being issued.Illegal gambling has largely been attributed to a situation in which only those wanting to operate a gambling house need a licence, while suppliers of gambling machines do not need one to buy or supply machines.This has meant that anyone can buy a gambling machine and supply it to a venue, whether the venue is licensed for gambling or not.