The casino industry in Botswana is worth more than P200 million. At its helm once stood Potlako Mawande—a towering figure in both presence and power. As Chief Operations Officer of the Gambling Authority, Mawande was the gatekeeper of the Gambling Act, tasked with licensing and enforcing responsible gambling practices. But in a dramatic twist, the regulator became the lobbyist. His once-celebrated career collapsed under allegations of collusion with the Indian casino mafia.
On March 11, 2025, Judge President of the Industrial Court Diratsagae Bennet Molomo declared a draft consent order between the Gambling Authority and Mawande an order of the court, bringing a close to a protracted legal battle. Mawande had sued for unfair dismissal.
Prior to that, he was summoned to a disciplinary hearing on March 11 and 12, 2023, chaired by attorney JB Akoonyatse, to answer charges of breach of fidelity, dishonesty, and failure to report irregular conduct by licensed entities. Documents from the proceedings revealed how deeply casino operators had infiltrated regulatory oversight, going so far as to allegedly manipulate key officials.
According to court filings, Mawande actively worked with casino operators and lobbied to shift the responsible gambling program away from the Gambling Authority to the operators themselves. The Gambling Act mandates the Authority to ensure that gambling is conducted responsibly, including mitigating the effects of problem gambling.
One of the key allegations against him was that he pressured Chief of Staff Moruntshi Kemorwale to reimburse operators for their 5 percent contributions to the responsible gambling fund. The pressure reportedly escalated to a personal visit to Kemorwale’s home in the early hours of July 16, 2022, during which Mawande allegedly threatened to mobilize casino operators to sue the Authority.
“Evidence was presented and never disputed that Mawande bragged that he had been managing the operators not to go to court, and essentially that he will now have them go to court,” Akoonyatse noted in his report.
Mawande was also found to have bypassed protocol by editing and presenting a paper—originally prepared by Kemorwale—to the Board’s committee, advocating for changes to the responsible gambling framework. Though visibly uncomfortable, the Chief of Staff complied, given that Mawande was his superior.
“I am persuaded that Mawande unfairly brought his position to bear on the Chief of Staff and literally used him, against his will, as a hand to push for changes,” Akoonyatse ruled. “One such change was the return of the five percent levy contributions to the licensees—a view which, by his own admission, Mawande still holds dear.”
While on a benchmarking trip to South Africa in July 2022, Mawande reportedly misrepresented Botswana’s responsible gambling infrastructure, telling officials from the Gauteng Gambling Authority that Botswana lacked both a responsible gambling program and an exclusions register. Kemorwale, unwilling to challenge his boss publicly, later emailed the relevant documents to Mawande. Mawande did not deny receiving the email, and the chair of the hearing concluded the Chief of Staff’s account was credible.
Casino operators, sensing an opportunity to recoup millions, threw their support behind Mawande and reportedly pledged to lobby the Gambling Authority’s Board and the Minister of Trade for his promotion to Chief Executive Officer. Mawande admitted as much in a written statement, stating: “I was approached by several individuals who wanted to engage with the Board and Minister that I be appointed CEO. I told them they were not to approach my principals without my consent.”
He refused, however, to disclose the identities of the operators, even after the Authority requested the information in order to investigate what they considered unprofessional conduct. Mawande maintained there was nothing improper about the licensees’ actions.
Akoonyatse found this position untenable. “The determination of whether or not the licensees had acted in violation of the Gambling Act was a call to be made by the Authority, not by him,” he said. “By wilfully declining to disclose the information required by the GA in pursuit of its statutory mandate, Mawande acted in breach of his duty of loyalty. He clearly put the interests of the licensees before those of his own employer.”
In his defense, Mawande cited his role in establishing the Gambling Authority and his contributions to its early success. The Authority was unmoved, arguing he had shown no remorse and that his years of service should have made him more aware of the consequences of his actions.
“Trust has been irretrievably eroded, considering also that Mawande supervises 18 staff members,” the Authority argued. “The Authority has suffered reputational damage, and licensees have little regard or respect for it. Mawande’s own integrity has been compromised. It will therefore not be tolerable to continue the employment relationship.”
On June 20, 2023, Board Chairman Marvin Torto terminated his employment.
What followed was a three-year legal battle marked by failed interlocutory applications. In the end, Mawande accepted a settlement equivalent to three months’ salary.
The casino crusader had fallen.
