Calls for an immediate freeze on gambling licences dominated the final sitting of Eswatini's House of Assembly for the year, as members voiced alarm over unregulated gambling activity and the long delay in finalising the Gaming Control Regulations.
The concerns were raised during debate on a ministerial statement delivered by Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister Jane Simelane, as reported by Times of Eswatini.
Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo said issuing licences without supporting regulations created loopholes that exposed the public to harm. He argued that gambling regulation should sit with an independent authority and warned that the sector could damage the country if left unchecked.
Portfolio Committee Chair Welcome Dlamini said some online operators had been granted bookmaker licences intended for horse and dog racing rather than interactive gaming licences. He added that Parliament's oversight role was undermined by the absence of finalised regulations.
MPs also questioned why the regulations had still not been tabled, claiming that uncertainty had discouraged investment and weakened control of the sector. Dvokodvweni MP Sifiso Shabalala said the regulatory framework was long overdue and essential for aligning gambling practices with the law.
Concerns over child gambling featured heavily. Several MPs called for Australia-style restrictions that would ban minors entirely from online platforms. Legislators described cases of children stealing SIM cards, taking mobile money loans and using secondary accounts to bet on games such as Aviator. They argued that parents and guardians should be held liable when their devices or identity documents are used by minors.
MPs also pushed for stronger cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs and the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology to trace the owners of accounts used by children.
The sitting concluded with Speaker Jabulani Mabuza adjourning Parliament sine die and encouraging members to reconnect with their families over the festive period.
MPs said Australia offers a model for blocking children from online gambling and called for similarly strict systems in Eswatini
