adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
HOME Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi has challenged gambling operators to put in place mechanisms that prevent minors from accessing betting activities.
Officially opening the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (Graf) conference yesterday, Minister Mohadi said: “In order to keep the integrity of the industry intact, please remain attentive to prohibition of illicit practices like money laundering and the financing of terrorism, among other delinquencies.
“In particular minors should by all means be free from exposure to lotteries and gaming activities as well as people with pathological or compulsive lotteries and gaming activities for the sake of preservation of their livelihoods.” Participants at the ongoing event also expressed concern on the prevalence of underage gamblers worldwide.
They said the trend was worrying as it was also occurring in schools where pupils are involved in match fixing. No statistics were given, however.
The Minister said it was imperative for operators not to abuse their licences.
“Let me caution the operators to respect the sanctity of licences that are issued in their favour and that it’s fairness and not exploitation that sustains lotteries and gaming business otherwise once punters get raw deals they disappear and the trade suffers,” he said.
Minister Mohadi also urged punters not to treat lotteries and gaming as a professional occupation. He commended the Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gambling Board for giving surplus to charity.
“Primarily, lotteries and gaming mustn’t be for any other motive than the pleasure of the punters. Any surplus should be committed to socio-economic investment. The interaction and mingling of all parties with interest in lotteries and gaming entrenches the philosophy and benefits of the trade which, in the final analysis, are pleasure and socio-economic investment.
“In this vein, in the last few years in Zimbabwe the surplus from gaming activities has been put to good use with over 100 schools and clinics built while several people have received medical assistance and that should be saluted,” said Minister Mohadi.
He said technology had changed the gaming landscape as he urged Graf members to constantly update their systems.
Under age gambling took centre stage at the conference which started on Monday and ending tomorrow. Participants blamed technology, among other challenges, as minors can access gambling activities online and through social media.
Presenting a paper on server-based gaming and player card verification, Atle Hamar, who is director of Norwegian gaming authority, said the trend was worldwide.
“It has been noted that minors have been involved in underage gambling which is worrying. There’s a need for regulations that make it 100 percent clear that this trade is for people above 18 years,” he said.
Hamar said the scourge could be reduced by removing gaming machines from public areas as a way of putting them out of reach of children.
Jenny Williams, who is a commissioner of a gambling board in the United Kingdom, said underage gambling was one of the critical challenges the industry was facing.
She said this was a result of the “pace of technology and social change where gambling was increasingly becoming mobile based as a result of social media.”
Moroba Mostopola of Western Cape in South Africa said in Europe betting was rife in high schools. He called for the creation of a culture of integrity.
A number of regulators and operators from across Africa are attending the conference.
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