The Zambian government has taken a key step towards the modernization of the gambling industry—the Cabinet has approved a comprehensive bill to reform the gambling and lottery industry, aiming to replace multiple outdated laws with a regulatory system adapted to the digital age.
This decision was passed in a Cabinet meeting and is seen as an important response to the rapid expansion of the current gambling industry. The government's chief spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, noted: "We see more and more casinos, lotteries, and online gambling operators entering the market, but the legal framework has not been updated for many years, and regulation is clearly lagging."
With the rapid development of digital gambling, virtual betting, and online payments, current laws such as the "Gaming and Betting Machine Control Act", "Lottery Act", and other gambling-related regulations, are unable to cover new business forms. The new bill plans to abolish these old regulations and fill key gaps including unregistered operators and unclear regulatory responsibilities.
According to the government, the bill will systematically update definitions of gambling, operational standards, and licensing systems, and strengthen market transparency and regulatory efforts through a mandatory registration system.
This is not only a legal reform but also a strategic step taken by Zambia to create a responsible, modernized gambling market. Along with the gambling bill, the repeal and update of the "Public Roads Act" are also being pushed forward, showing that the government is comprehensively overhauling the old legal systems in multiple key areas.
Zambia is trying to break free from the constraints of outdated rules and build a more transparent, compliant, and sustainable gambling ecosystem, providing a reform model for emerging countries in the global gambling market.
