Botswana has declared its support for Nigeria’s bid to transform the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF) into a formal Pan African Council of Gaming Regulators (PACoGR), a move aimed at strengthening regulatory cooperation across the continent.
The proposal, championed by Nigeria through the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) and the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria, seeks to elevate GRAF from a voluntary forum into a statutory continental council with harmonised standards on licensing, consumer protection, anti-money laundering and responsible gaming.
Botswana’s Gambling Authority, led by Chief Executive Officer Moruntshi Kemorwale, said the transformation is timely as Africa’s gaming market expands rapidly across mobile and online platforms. Botswana has been a key member of GRAF since its inception and hosted its 14th conference in Gaborone in 2023.
The Gaming Regulators Africa Forum was established in 2003 to unite regulatory bodies addressing shared challenges including online betting growth and consumer protection. It currently provides a dedicated platform for African regulators to collaborate and exchange knowledge.
Nigeria’s delegation, led by LSLGA CEO Bashir Are, has argued that a Pan-African Council would give Africa one voice against illegal and offshore operators. Are previously noted that regulators face a common influx of foreign and illegal operators and need a unified response: “We all have the same issues, so that’s why we’re coming together so that we’ll be one voice, one continent, and one community.”
Botswana said PACoGR would build on recent continental initiatives such as Africa Safer Gambling Week and the GRAF Conference 2026 Maputo, Mozambique.
Industry observers say the Botswana-Nigeria alignment, two of Africa’s most active regulatory jurisdictions — could accelerate adoption of common norms for safer gambling, taxation and enforcement. The transformation proposal is expected to be tabled for formal adoption at the next Annual General Meeting slated for December 2026.
