Illegal gambling machines are broken by Tanzanian government authorities

Adela Madyane-Kigoma

A total of 24 gaming machines worth more than Tshs. 36 million were destroyed by the gaming board in Kigoma region after an intensive search that was conducted by the board in collaboration with the police officers in January 2022.

The board has reached the point of destroying the machines due to violation of the gaming act of 2003 section 4 and owners failing to appear within 7 days to explain the reasons for them to place the machines in the areas they were found.

Stating on the issue the director-general of the national gaming board James Mbalwe said the seized machines were found in inappropriate areas and that it was illegal to run the business without registration.

“Gaming operators must place their machines on board-registered sites, owners must have operating permits and machines must be registered for failure to do so, which is regarded as a violation of the country’s laws,” said Mbalwe said.

Elaborating further, he said, for the 24 wrecked machines the government has lost more than 2.6 million a month whereas 1 machine is supposed to be paid t.sh 110,000 per month the cost that combines taxes and transaction fees and that per year slots industry contributes about 25 billion to GDP.

The director mentioned the areas where the game is not allowed to be played including schools, prayer houses, hospital buildings, residential areas, as well as national security areas so far the board, has managed to register 17,000 machines following the laws and policies of the country.

Speaking on behalf of the community, Yusuph Musa is pleased with the government’s move to destroy the machines as they are damaging children’s psychological development and deteriorating their education.

“Most of the people playing on these machines are children under the age of 18, they rob us of money when they find left 200 they take it for the game, they are lost academically and morals are declining” Said Musa

On his side, Anton John has called on the government to continue the exercise of destroying the machines and ensure that all procedures of the game are properly followed.