Africa-Press – Angola. This Thursday, the National Assembly definitively approved the Proposed Law on Gaming Activity, with 169, none against and two abstentions, during the seventh ordinary plenary session.
The law is the result of a structural comparative study within the scope of the Executive Program, with a view to ensuring greater effectiveness and stability in the gaming sector, in particular with regard to strengthening the legal framework for the regulation and supervision of economic operators involved in this sector.
Therefore, the diploma introduces substantial changes to the current legal regime with emphasis on the separation of the concession of sports betting from lotteries, the definition of the general and guiding principles of gaming activity, it introduces measures to adapt the share capital and own funds of the operating entities of the game activity.
The document defines the general requirements and definition of the minimum share capital and own funds, the suitability and holding of qualified participation, access to gambling through competition as a rule, waiving the requirement for an exclusive object for the exploration of the gambling activity at this stage.
It allows concessions for the exploitation of Games of Fortune or Chance and Social Games, Licensing regime for Online Games, constitution and Registration of companies, gaming advertising, as well as typifying a tax and sanctioning regime.
According to the reasoning, this reformulation aims to establish a gaming legal system that is more suitable for regulating and controlling the activity, whilst safeguarding the defense of established rights and the legitimate expectations of gaming operators and players.
The premises for regulating and supervising the activity are essentially based on the stability of the activity, reinforcement of the concession as a criterion for access, given that throughout the world gambling is seen as an activity reserved for the State.
These premises are also based on the protection of public order, the legitimate interests of players or bettors and the reinforcement of the level of literacy in the activity, as well as preventing fraudulent or criminal activities, such as money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
With the main innovations, the responsibility of concessionaires and licensed entities for the legality and regularity of the exploration and practice of gambling is accentuated and the conditions for profitable and responsible exploration are improved.
Declarations of vote
For MPLA deputy Carlas Domingos Cativa, the law is timely as it reduces the negative impact of this type of games.
According to the parliamentarian, with the approval of the diploma, a taxation system was established in accordance with good international practices, which contributes to the diversification of funding sources for the OGE.
For his part, the PHA deputy, Fernando Hombo Dinis, argued that his bench abstained because he understands that these games create addictions that generate family conflicts, reduce productivity, promote mental health along with depression and suicide.
He stated that games of chance divert investments that the private sector should make in sectors such as agriculture and industry, in order to create food self-sufficiency and create jobs.
For him, although this activity results in revenue for the state, the related social and economic risks are too high.
UNITA deputy David Kisadila stated that his party voted in favor because it understands that the law will reduce the negative impact of the economic and financial crisis that puts economic stability at risk.
He stated that the approval will open an opportunity for economic agents to invest in the capital market and generate more jobs.
However, he advocated the need to eliminate bureaucracy in the legalization of this activity and boost control and inspection mechanisms.
Growth of the sector
The gambling sector raised, in 2023, more than 10 billion kwanzas, registering a growth of 55.51%, compared to 2022, which reached more than 6 billion kwanzas.
Direct revenue from the gaming sector is distinguished between tax and parafiscal revenue, with 95% (Kz 10 149 578 151.58) of total revenue and the remaining 5% (Kz 531 210 999) from parafiscal revenue.
The increase in the special gambling tax was due to the expansion of this activity to more provinces of the country, mainly social gambling, which was confined to Luanda for many years.
The average annual revenue stood at more than 2.5 billion kwanzas, which indicates that tax revenue in the coming years could exceed the amounts for 2023.
The Angolan gaming market had a positive performance, resulting in gross revenue exceeding 37 billion kwanzas.
Social games, with total revenue above kz 23 billion, corresponding to 62% of all gross revenue in that year, were the ones with the highest performance, followed by Fortune or Chance games, with 29%, and remote games in line, with 9%.
In the form of social games, a type of sports betting, the territorial base quota licensed for this purpose is developed with the help of stores or payment points, currently having 30 commercial units registered distributed in the provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Bié, Huíla, Zaire and Cabinda.
In the same period of 2023, the sector registered a set of 86 tables and 334 slot machines for operating banked and non-banked games of chance (baccarat, oversize blackjack, toro toro, American roulette, poker, dragon tiger, point and banking, video poker, reise draw, among others).
From 2019 to 2023, a total of 104 licenses were issued, of which 53 were active, 13 were suspended and 38 were currently expired.
Of the 104 licenses issued in that period, 66 were destined for the form of Games of Fortune or Chance, corresponding to 63.46%, Remote Online Games 33 (31.73%) and Social Games five and 4.81% , respectively.
The Angolan gaming market is made up of 23 entities operating Games, 10 in the form of Games of Fortune or Chance, three in Territorial Sports Betting and 10 in Online Games.
Currently, the sector employs five thousand and 880 citizens, with one thousand and 703 dependent jobs (administrative and operational/stores) and four and 177 game mediators.
Source: ANGOP
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