Who regulates gambling in Eswatini?

The Eswatini Gaming Control Board, established by section 11 of the Gaming Control Act, 2022, regulates casinos, lotteries and bookmakers through a secretariat in the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs. The Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit supervises casinos and gaming houses for money laundering.

Is online casino legal in Eswatini?

No licence exists for online casino games, and officials have said they remain illegal. Casino licences attach to casino hotel premises, and the Crimes Act, 1889 makes keeping or visiting a gambling house an offence.

Draft Gaming Control Regulations, with a schedule of licence and renewal fees and a self-exclusion register kept by the Gaming Board, went through stakeholder validation in June and July 2026. The Minister told Parliament they would be tabled in the third quarter of the financial year.

What AML rules apply to casinos and gaming houses?

They are accountable institutions under the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011. The EFIU guideline of March 2024 requires due diligence for transactions of USD/EUR 3,000 or more, annual risk assessments, suspicious transaction and cash threshold reports, and registration with the EFIU.

How is gambling taxed?

The rates under the Gaming Control Act, 2022 were not confirmed. The Ministry collects gaming levies from lottery and bookmaker licence holders and on promotions, E22.9 million from April to December 2024, and the High Court held in 2021 that the lottery licensee also pays income tax.

How much does a gambling licence cost in Eswatini?

For the Bookmaker licence: Not confirmed under the Gaming Control Act, 2022; a fee schedule is in the draft regulations. The 1970 Act set an annual fee of E200 or as prescribed (s. 3(6)). Last verified 23 Sept 2026.

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Sovereign state

Africa

ISO SZ

Eswatini: gambling regulation and licensing

Kingdom of Eswatini

Online sports bettingRegulated
Online casinoProhibited
Land-based (reference)Regulated

Regulator: Eswatini Gaming Control Board
Headline tax: See Taxation
Licence required: Yes
Last verified: 23 Sept 2026

Summary

Eswatini regulates gambling under the Gaming Control Act, 2022, which established the Eswatini Gaming Control Board to regulate casinos, lotteries and bookmakers. The Board works through a secretariat in the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, which hears licence applications, inspects operators, collects gaming levies and issues short-term permits for marketing promotions. The Act has no implementing regulations yet, and its text could not be obtained from an official host for this review, so its fees, tax rates and any online provisions are not recorded. The 2023 national money laundering risk assessment lists three casinos, including the state-owned Piggs Peak Hotel and Casino, three lottery licence holders and two bookmakers. Betting is the only licensed online activity: the first bookmaker licence was granted in 2020, bookmakers take bets through mobile money and banks, and the assessment counted close to 90,000 online betting customers. The Ministry granted two more bookmaker licences in 2024/25 and collected E22.9 million in gaming levies from April to December 2024. No licence exists for online casino games, which officials describe as illegal. Draft Gaming Control Regulations, with a fee schedule and a self-exclusion register, went through stakeholder validation in June and July 2026, and the Minister told Parliament they would be tabled in the third quarter of the financial year. Casinos and gaming houses are supervised for money laundering by the Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit. In 2026 police dismantled an illegal online gambling and fraud network, arresting 82 people, in INTERPOL's Operation First Light.

Common pitfalls

Treating the 1963 and 1970 statutes as the whole of the current law: the Gaming Control Act, 2022 now governs the sector, even though some government pages still describe licensing in the older terms. Assuming a bookmaker licence covers online casino games: licensed operators hold bookmaker licences only. Reading the levy totals reported to Parliament as gross gaming revenue: they are levies collected by the Ministry.

Key facts

Regulator: Eswatini Gaming Control Board
Regulator type: Gaming board
Headline tax: See Taxation
Licence required: Yes
Minimum age: 18+
Tax base: Not confirmed under the Gaming Control Act, 2022, whose text was not available, so no headline rate is given. The Ministry collects gaming levies from lottery licence holders, bookmaker licence holders and short gaming promotions: E22,934,203 from April to December 2024. Under the older statutes, bookmakers paid a tax of 10% of the gross amount staked on races (Licensing of Bookmakers and Taxation Act, 1970, s. 4) and casinos paid a levy on gross gaming room takings less winnings of 2.0% in years two to six of operation and 4.5% from year seven, in place of income tax (Casino Act, 1963, s. 9(3), as consolidated in 1998).
Capital: Mbabane
Currency: SZL
Official languages: siSwati, English

How to get a gambling licence in Eswatini

The regulator is the Eswatini Gaming Control Board.

We record 4 licence types for Eswatini.

Applications: Accepted on a rolling basis
Fee basis: Bookmaker licence: Not confirmed under the Gaming Control Act, 2022; a fee schedule is in the draft regulations. The 1970 Act set an annual fee of E200 or as prescribed (s. 3(6)).
Fee basis: Casino licence: The Ministry states that no application fee is required. Under the Casino Act, 1963 the licensee paid an annual fee of E2,000 and a levy on gross gaming room takings less winnings, and deposited security for obligations to players with the Accountant-General (s. 9). Whether these terms survive the Gaming Control Act, 2022 was not confirmed.
Licence term: Bookmaker licence: One bookmaker licence was renewed for twelve months in 2024/25 (Ministry). The 1970 Act made the licence valid for the calendar year (s. 3(5)).
Financial guarantee: Under the Casino Act, 1963 an applicant deposits with the Accountant-General security the Board considers adequate for obligations to players (s. 9(1)(e)); the 1970 Act lets bookmaker licences require security for winnings and tax (s. 3(2)). Current requirements under the 2022 Act were not confirmed.

Built from the record on this page, last verified 23 Sept 2026. The Licensing and Taxation sections carry the full detail and sources.

Legal framework

Primary statutes

Gaming Control Act, 2022
Year
2022
In force
Yes
Summary
The principal gaming statute, listed by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs among the laws in force and as the legal document of its Department of Tourism. Section 11 establishes the Eswatini Gaming Control Board, which regulates casinos, lotteries and bookmakers. Marketing promotions run by companies such as MTN, Spar, Pick n Pay and Coca-Cola are regulated under it through short-term gaming permits. Its implementing regulations have not been made. The text could not be obtained from an official host at review, so its licence categories, fees, levies and any provision on online gambling are not recorded.
Casino Act, 1963
Year
1963
Summary
Commenced on 28 December 1963. Established the Swaziland Gaming Board of Control (s. 6) and let the Minister grant casino licences to persons of integrity and adequate means (s. 9). A casino is a hotel of at least sixty bedrooms with a restaurant, pool, conference rooms and gaming rooms (s. 2). A licence ran for fifteen years, renewable (s. 9(5)), for an annual fee of E2,000 and a levy on gross gaming room takings less winnings: none in the first year of operation, 2.0% in years two to six and 4.5% from year seven (s. 9(3)). Barred under-21s from gaming rooms (s. 18(3)) and allowed casino advertising subject to regulations (s. 4). Still cited by the 2022 ESAAMLG evaluation and on the Ministry's website; its status after the Gaming Control Act, 2022 was not confirmed.
Lotteries Act, 1963
Year
1963
Summary
Provided for an exclusive public lottery licence granted by the Minister for fifteen years, renewable for up to ten years in all (s. 13), with gross proceeds applied under an agreement with the Minister (s. 14), and barred sales to under-18s (s. 16). Section 20 exempted the licensee from tax on lottery income, which the High Court held in 2021 does not override the Income Tax Order. Its status after the Gaming Control Act, 2022 was not confirmed from a text read at review.
Licensing of Bookmakers and Taxation Act, 1970
Year
1970
Summary
Commenced on 19 June 1970. Requires a bookmaker's licence (s. 3), granted only to members of the Tattersalls Club of Swaziland, valid for the calendar year and renewable on payment of an annual fee of E200 or as prescribed. Imposes a tax of 10% of the gross amount staked on races, paid monthly (s. 4), and bans bets from under-18s (s. 7(4)). "Race" excludes dog racing. Its status after the Gaming Control Act, 2022 was not confirmed.
Crimes Act, 1889, Part II (Gaming and betting)
Year
1889
Summary
Makes keeping or visiting a gambling house or gaming table an offence (s. 2), with forfeiture and fines for keepers rising to imprisonment of up to three years for a third offence (s. 8) and fines for visitors (s. 12). Bans betting houses, including betting with persons in communication with them (ss. 14 and 15), and betting in streets and open places (s. 7). Casino gaming rooms are exempt (Casino Act, 1963, s. 3).
Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011, as amended
Year
2011
In force
Yes
Summary
Makes casinos accountable institutions (s. 2(p)) subject to customer due diligence (s. 6) and to supervision by their supervisory authority (s. 35(1)). The AML/CFT/PF Miscellaneous Amendment Act, 2024 extended the due diligence duties of casinos and gaming houses to meet FATF Recommendation 10.

Secondary instruments

EFIU Casinos and Gaming Houses AML/CFT Guideline
Year
2024
In force
Yes
Summary
Issued in March 2024 under section 18bis of the 2011 Act. Requires a risk-based approach, an annual AML/CFT risk assessment submitted to the EFIU, a compliance risk management programme, customer due diligence for transactions of USD/EUR 3,000 or more, enhanced due diligence for politically exposed persons, sanctions screening, record keeping, suspicious transaction and cash threshold reporting, and self-registration with the EFIU.
KYC/CDD Guidance for Casinos and Gaming Houses
Year
2025
In force
Yes
Summary
December 2025 EFIU onboarding form, expressly a learning tool rather than a formal guideline, showing how casinos and gaming houses may document identity, source of funds, politically exposed person status and enhanced due diligence.
National Gaming (Gambling) Policy, 2015
Year
2015
In force
Yes
Summary
Listed by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs among its policies. Its text was not reviewed.

Key amendments

The Gaming Control Act, 2022 establishes the Eswatini Gaming Control Board and becomes the principal gaming law in place of the 1963 and 1970 statutes, to an extent not confirmed at review.
The AML/CFT/PF Miscellaneous Amendment Act, 2024 extends customer due diligence duties to casinos and gaming houses.

Pending legislation

Gaming Control Regulations
Stage
Drafted by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs and listed as under formulation in its 2024/25 report to Parliament. Stakeholder validation workshops ran in June and July 2026, and the Minister told Parliament on 1 July 2026 that the regulations would be tabled in the third quarter of the current financial year. Gaming fees were separately submitted to Parliament and adopted by the Senate in 2024/25.
What it changes
Would give operational effect to the Gaming Control Act, 2022, according to ministry officials without new licence categories. The draft includes a schedule of licence and renewal fees and a self-exclusion register kept by the Gaming Board, open to players and third parties, with penalties for excluded persons who gamble.

Case law

Swaziland Lottery Trust (Pty) Ltd v Swaziland Revenue Authority [2021] SZHC 171
28 Sept 2021
The High Court held that the holder of the public lottery licence must pay income tax on lottery income despite the exemption in section 20 of the Lotteries Act, 1963, because the Income Tax Order of 1975 consolidates the taxation of income, and that levies paid to the Gaming Board are not income tax. The application for a refund of E4,822,433.66 was dismissed with costs.

Licensing

Licence required: Yes
Application window: Rolling
Local establishment required: Not yet verified
Local server required: Not yet verified
Bank guarantee or bond: Under the Casino Act, 1963 an applicant deposits with the Accountant-General security the Board considers adequate for obligations to players (s. 9(1)(e)); the 1970 Act lets bookmaker licences require security for winnings and tax (s. 3(2)). Current requirements under the 2022 Act were not confirmed.
Notable licensees: Happy Valley Casino, Ezulwini, Nhlangano Casino Royale, Piggs Peak Hotel and Casino (wholly owned by the Government of Eswatini), Swaziland Lottery Trust (Pty) Ltd
Barriers to entry: Fitness and probity checks are applied to industry management at market entry (2023 risk assessment). The regime lacks prescribed fees, which ministry officials say has delayed applications and renewals, and MPs have called for no new licences until the Gaming Control Regulations are tabled. The 2022 ESAAMLG evaluation found that the licensing regime did not adequately stop criminals or their associates from owning or managing a casino.

Licence types

Bookmaker licence
Scope
Betting, the only licensed form of online gambling: licensed bookmakers take sports bets through mobile money and banks.
Term
One bookmaker licence was renewed for twelve months in 2024/25 (Ministry). The 1970 Act made the licence valid for the calendar year (s. 3(5)).
Fee basis
Not confirmed under the Gaming Control Act, 2022; a fee schedule is in the draft regulations. The 1970 Act set an annual fee of E200 or as prescribed (s. 3(6)).
Renewal terms
Applications are lodged at any time of year through the Gaming Board Secretariat in the Ministry and heard by the Gaming Board. In 2024/25 two bookmaker licences were granted and one was renewed for twelve months.
Casino licence
Scope
Table games and gaming machines in a licensed casino hotel.
Term
Fifteen years, renewable, under the Casino Act, 1963 (s. 9(5)); the Ministry says licence holders renew every ten years.
Fee basis
The Ministry states that no application fee is required. Under the Casino Act, 1963 the licensee paid an annual fee of E2,000 and a levy on gross gaming room takings less winnings, and deposited security for obligations to players with the Accountant-General (s. 9). Whether these terms survive the Gaming Control Act, 2022 was not confirmed.
Renewal terms
Renewal on terms set by the Minister (Casino Act, 1963, s. 9(5)); revocation on the Board's advice for false information, breach, relevant convictions or ceasing to operate, with appeal to the High Court within thirty days (ss. 13 to 15).
Lottery licence
Scope
Lottery operations, including lottery machines; three licence holders operated an estimated 530 machines at the time of the 2023 risk assessment.
Term
Fifteen years, renewable for up to ten years in all, under the Lotteries Act, 1963 (s. 13(2)); the Ministry says licence holders renew every ten years.
Fee basis
Levies are collected by the Ministry from lottery licence holders; the rate was not confirmed.
Short-term gaming permit
Scope
Marketing promotions by companies, regulated by the Gaming Control Act, 2022. 42 permits were issued in 2024/25, to companies including MTN, Spar, Pick n Pay and Coca-Cola.
Term
Short term, per promotion
Fee basis
Levies are collected on short gaming promotions; the rate was not confirmed.

Taxation

Headline GGR tax: Not yet verified
Effective date: Not yet verified
Withholding mechanism: Under the 1970 Act, bookmakers paid betting tax to the Accountant-General within fourteen days of the end of each month with a return (s. 4(2)). The casino levy was paid to the Collector under the income tax law, who determined it as he would a charge to income tax (Casino Act, 1963, s. 9(2) and (3)(c)).
Tax base: Not confirmed under the Gaming Control Act, 2022, whose text was not available, so no headline rate is given. The Ministry collects gaming levies from lottery licence holders, bookmaker licence holders and short gaming promotions: E22,934,203 from April to December 2024. Under the older statutes, bookmakers paid a tax of 10% of the gross amount staked on races (Licensing of Bookmakers and Taxation Act, 1970, s. 4) and casinos paid a levy on gross gaming room takings less winnings of 2.0% in years two to six of operation and 4.5% from year seven, in place of income tax (Casino Act, 1963, s. 9(3), as consolidated in 1998).

Compliance

Minimum age: 18+
National self-exclusion: Voluntary casino exclusion administered by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs
KYC timing: When a business relationship is established, and at or above the USD/EUR 3,000 transaction threshold (EFIU guideline, 2024).
AML regime: Casinos are accountable institutions under the 2011 Act as amended in 2024. The EFIU guideline of March 2024 requires annual risk assessments filed with the EFIU, a compliance risk management programme, enhanced due diligence for politically exposed persons, sanctions screening, record keeping, suspicious transaction reports and cash threshold reports, and registration with the EFIU. The 2023 national risk assessment rates the casino and gaming sector medium risk for money laundering and found AML controls weak, with only one suspicious transaction report filed, by Happy Valley casino. Eswatini is in ESAAMLG enhanced follow-up; in August 2025 casino due diligence (criterion 22.1(a)) was re-rated met.
AML supervisor: Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit (EFIU) in practice; the 2011 Act designates the sector supervisor, the Gaming Board, which does not carry out AML supervision.
Source of funds thresholds: Due diligence from USD/EUR 3,000 per financial transaction; the EFIU's non-binding 2025 onboarding form applies source of wealth checks to foreign nationals and higher-risk politically exposed persons.
KYC requirements: Casinos and gaming houses must carry out customer due diligence under section 6 of the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 when establishing a business relationship, on suspicion, and for financial transactions of USD/EUR 3,000 or more, identifying and verifying customers from reliable independent documents; anonymous and fictitious-name dealings are banned. The EFIU onboarding form collects national ID or passport, proof of residence and source of funds. The 2023 risk assessment found that lottery customers are not identified and that bookmakers rely on the KYC of mobile money operators and banks. Age limits come from the older statutes, whose status after the 2022 Act was not confirmed: 18 for betting (1970 Act, s. 7(4)) and lotteries (Lotteries Act, 1963, s. 16), and 21 for casino gaming rooms (Casino Act, 1963, s. 18(3)).
Stake limits: Not yet verified
Reporting obligations: Suspicious transaction reports, cash threshold reports and annual AML risk assessments to the EFIU. Under the Casino Act, 1963 licensees keep the books the Board requires and appoint auditors approved by the Minister (s. 21).

Advertising

Advertising permitted: Yes
Penalties for breach: Misusing the word "casino" carries a fine of up to twenty emalangeni, and the same again for each day it continues after conviction (Casino Act, 1963, s. 5(2)). Advertising rules under the Gaming Control Act, 2022 were not available.

Restrictions

Casinos and their games may be advertised subject to regulations (Casino Act, 1963, s. 4); casinos advertise on billboards (2023 risk assessment).
Only a licensed casino may use the word "casino" in the name of trade or business premises (Casino Act, 1963, s. 5).
Changes to advertisements, signs and hoardings on casino premises need the Minister's prior written approval (Casino Act, 1963, s. 11(3)).
Marketing promotions with prizes need a short-term gaming permit under the Gaming Control Act, 2022.

Payments

Credit card ban: Not yet verified
Crypto stance: Not yet verified
Permitted methods: Cash, Electronic funds transfer (at casinos, with a minimum of E25,000 where used), Machine cards loaded with credit, Mobile money (bookmakers), Bank payments (bookmakers)
Local rails: Mobile money
Currency restrictions: Casino winnings are paid in cash or by transfer to the player's bank account, and there is no cap on the cash a player may spend at a time (2023 risk assessment).

Enforcement

ISP blocking: Not yet verified
DNS blocking: Not yet verified
Payment blocking: Not yet verified
App store takedowns: Not yet verified
Administrative penalties: Licence revocation or non-renewal by the Minister on the Board's advice (Casino Act, 1963, s. 13) and cancellation of a bookmaker's licence for breach or unpaid tax (1970 Act, s. 6). Disciplinary action by the EFIU for breach of AML duties (2011 Act, s. 35).
Criminal penalties: Keeping a gambling house: forfeiture and a fine for a first offence, three to twelve months for a second and up to three years for a third (Crimes Act, 1889, s. 8). Keeping a betting house: imprisonment of up to six months or a fine (s. 15). Unlicensed bookmaking: a fine of up to E200 or six months for a first offence and E400 or one year after (1970 Act, s. 3(7)). Penalties under the Gaming Control Act, 2022 were not available.
Operator liability: Keepers, bankers, dealers and staff of a gambling house are all treated as keepers (Crimes Act, 1889, s. 5). Unlicensed gambling machine operators have also been prosecuted under the Trading Licences Order, 1975.
Player liability: Visiting a gambling house or gaming table to play is an offence punished by fines (Crimes Act, 1889, ss. 2 and 12).

Notable actions

Criminal network running illegal online gambling, money laundering and impersonation scams9 Jul 2026
Police arrested 82 people and seized 240 electronic devices, foreign currency and a replica Brazilian police station used in scams in which the network posed as Brazil's Federal Police, during INTERPOL Operation First Light 2026 (15 January to 30 April 2026). An INTERPOL Operational Support Team was deployed at Eswatini's request to analyse the devices.
Four foreign nationals distributing unlicensed gambling machines
Convicted in the Manzini Magistrate's Court under section 5(1)(b) of the Trading Licences Order, 1975; four vehicles and E205,312.60 were forfeited to the State on a High Court application (reported in the 2022 ESAAMLG evaluation).

Market data

Figures on this record are analyst estimates, not official regulator data.

Online GGR: Not yet verified
Reporting year: 2022
Active player accounts: 90,000

Timeline

28 Dec 1963
Casino Act, 1963 commences and establishes the Swaziland Gaming Board of Control
19 Jun 1970
Licensing of Bookmakers and Taxation Act, 1970 commences
28 Sept 2021
High Court rules that the public lottery licensee must pay income tax on lottery income
18 Dec 2025
MPs in the House of Assembly call for a halt to new gambling licences until the Gaming Control Regulations are ready
1 Jul 2026
The Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs tells Parliament the Gaming Control Regulations will be tabled in the third quarter of the financial year
9 Jul 2026
INTERPOL reports that police in Eswatini arrested 82 people and dismantled an illegal online gambling and fraud network during Operation First Light 2026

Outlook

The next milestone is the tabling of the Gaming Control Regulations, which the Minister told Parliament on 1 July 2026 would come in the third quarter of the current financial year. They would add a schedule of licence and renewal fees and a self-exclusion register kept by the Gaming Board. MPs asked in December 2025 for new licences to be halted until the regulations are in place, and the chair of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism questioned whether online operators hold the right licence type, so the scope of bookmaker licences may be tested. Eswatini remains in ESAAMLG enhanced follow-up, which keeps AML supervision of casinos and gaming houses by the EFIU in view.

Frequently asked questions

Who regulates gambling in Eswatini?: The Eswatini Gaming Control Board, established by section 11 of the Gaming Control Act, 2022, regulates casinos, lotteries and bookmakers through a secretariat in the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs. The Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit supervises casinos and gaming houses for money laundering.
Is online sports betting legal in Eswatini?: Yes, through licensed bookmakers, which take bets through mobile money and banks. The 2023 national risk assessment counted two bookmakers, the first licensed in 2020, and close to 90,000 online betting customers; the Ministry granted two more bookmaker licences in 2024/25. The chair of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism has questioned whether online operators hold the right licence type.
Is online casino legal in Eswatini?: No licence exists for online casino games, and officials have said they remain illegal. Casino licences attach to casino hotel premises, and the Crimes Act, 1889 makes keeping or visiting a gambling house an offence.
What is changing?: Draft Gaming Control Regulations, with a schedule of licence and renewal fees and a self-exclusion register kept by the Gaming Board, went through stakeholder validation in June and July 2026. The Minister told Parliament they would be tabled in the third quarter of the financial year.
What AML rules apply to casinos and gaming houses?: They are accountable institutions under the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011. The EFIU guideline of March 2024 requires due diligence for transactions of USD/EUR 3,000 or more, annual risk assessments, suspicious transaction and cash threshold reports, and registration with the EFIU.
How is gambling taxed?: The rates under the Gaming Control Act, 2022 were not confirmed. The Ministry collects gaming levies from lottery and bookmaker licence holders and on promotions, E22.9 million from April to December 2024, and the High Court held in 2021 that the lottery licensee also pays income tax.
How much does a gambling licence cost in Eswatini?: For the Bookmaker licence: Not confirmed under the Gaming Control Act, 2022; a fee schedule is in the draft regulations. The 1970 Act set an annual fee of E200 or as prescribed (s. 3(6)). Last verified 23 Sept 2026.

Glossary and directory

Glossary terms for this profile

iGT coverage of Eswatini

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Sources

Source tiers. Tier 1: the law, official gazette, licence register or regulator itself. Tier 2: other official sources such as ministries, parliaments, courts and statistics agencies. Tier 3: established trade press, used to find and date the primary source. Only tier 1 and tier 2 sources can support a fact on their own.

Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs: Services (licensing and regulating the gaming sector)
Government of Eswatini
The live site did not respond from outside Eswatini at review; the page was read from the Internet Archive copy of 21 April 2026. It says licence holders renew every ten years; the Casino Act, 1963 as consolidated in 1998 sets a fifteen year casino licence (s. 9(5)) and the Lotteries Act, 1963 a fifteen year public lottery licence (s. 13(2)). The page predates or ignores the Gaming Control Act, 2022, whose terms were not available.
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Department of Tourism: mandate and legal documents
Government of Eswatini
Read from the Internet Archive copy of 21 April 2026; the live site did not respond at review.
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs: Annual Performance Parliament Report 2024/25
Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini
Read from the Internet Archive copy of 11 May 2026; the live site did not respond at review. The Minister's preamble says the Ministry has collected E6,480,703.80 in gaming levies "thus far", while section 3.1.2.2 says E22,934,203 was collected from gaming operations from April to December 2024. The report does not reconcile the two; the section 3.1.2.2 figure, which states its period, is recorded. The same section says "eleven (42)" short-term permits; 42 is recorded.
Archived copy
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Casino Act, 1963 (Act 56 of 1963), version at 1 December 1998
EswatiniLII (Judiciary of eSwatini)
EswatiniLII refuses automated access; the text was read from the Internet Archive copy of 20 April 2026. The consolidation stops at 1998. How far the Gaming Control Act, 2022 repealed or replaced this Act could not be confirmed.
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Lotteries Act, 1963 (Act 40 of 1963), version at 1 December 1998
EswatiniLII (Judiciary of eSwatini)
Read from the Internet Archive copy of 24 January 2026. The Gaming Control Act, 2022 is reported to have replaced this Act; that could not be confirmed from a text read at review.
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Licensing of Bookmakers and Taxation Act, 1970 (Act 27 of 1970), version at 1 December 1998
EswatiniLII (Judiciary of eSwatini)
Read from the Internet Archive copy of 3 June 2023. The consolidation stops at 1998, and whether the Act survived the Gaming Control Act, 2022 could not be confirmed.
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Crimes Act, 1889 (Act 6 of 1889), Part II: Gaming and betting, version at 1 December 1998
EswatiniLII (Judiciary of eSwatini)
Read from the Internet Archive copy of 26 May 2024.
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Swaziland Lottery Trust (Pty) Ltd v Swaziland Revenue Authority (927/2017) [2021] SZHC 171 (28 September 2021)
High Court of Eswatini (EswatiniLII)
Read from the Internet Archive copy of 25 September 2023. The judgment was appealed to the Supreme Court; the appeal judgment could not be opened at review.
Archived copy
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 28 Sept 2021
The Kingdom of Eswatini Money Laundering National Risk Assessment 2023
Government of Eswatini (published by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority)
The report says both that the Eswatini Gaming Control Board regulates casinos, lotteries and bookmakers and that AML supervision of the sector has fallen to the EFIU. Its counts of licensees (three casinos, three lottery licence holders, two bookmakers) and online betting customers are for its review period, which ends in 2022 or 2023.
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures: Eswatini Mutual Evaluation Report, June 2022
Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG)
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Eswatini: 4th Enhanced Follow-Up Report and 1st Technical Compliance Re-rating, August 2025
Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG)
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026
EFIU Casinos and Gaming Houses AML/CFT Guideline, March 2024
Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit (EFIU)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Know Your Customer (KYC)/Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Guidance for Casinos and Gaming Houses, December 2025
Eswatini Financial Intelligence Unit (EFIU)
Tier 1Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Over 5,800 arrests, USD 293 million intercepted in global fraud bust (Operation First Light 2026)
INTERPOL
The previous version of this record said more than 400 devices were seized; INTERPOL gives 240 devices and 82 arrests, which are recorded.
Tier 2Accessed 23 Sept 2026Published 9 Jul 2026
Eswatini government targets third-quarter tabling of long-awaited Gaming Act Regulations
Focus Gaming News
Reports the Minister's statement in Parliament on 1 July 2026, citing the Times of Eswatini; no Hansard or ministry text was available to confirm it.
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Eswatini MPs push for gambling licence halt until regulations are ready
Focus Gaming News
Reports the House of Assembly sitting of 18 December 2025; no Hansard was available to confirm it. It says the government collected more than E9 million in levies from bookmakers and E48,000 in annual licence fees in 2023/24; those figures are not recorded because no official source for them was opened.
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026
Eswatini gambling sector calls for clearer self-exclusion rules
SiGMA World
Tier 3Accessed 23 Sept 2026