The Competition Authority and the Gambling Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions which would ultimately improve their internal processes and efficiencies.
The MoU was signed by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Competition Authority Tebelelo Pule and the Chief Executive Officer of the Gambling Authority Thuli Johnson in Gaborone on 24th January.
Speaking at the signing ceremony which was held at the Gambling Authority offices, Johnson described the signing of the MoU as an opportunity to cement a relationship that has already started in terms of collaborations in a number of key strategic areas, noting that the Competition Authority has already handled issues of competitiveness in the gambling industry.
For her part, Pule described the gambling industry as a complex one, with potential for anti-competitive issues to arise. She said besides looking out for abuse of dominance by enterprises, the Competition Authority also considers public interest issues.
The basis of the MoU is that while the two organisations implement two separate mandates there are areas of intersection in their mandates and hence the need to cooperate. Gambling is an economic activity that affects the buying power of every individual who partakes in it, and the gambling industry generates large sums of money through competition.
“Gambling establishments compete with one another for customers and competitors may enter into certain arrangements in order to maximise their profits and some, due to acquisitions, may become concentrated and abuse their dominant position” the MoU reads in part.
As part of the cooperation agreement, the two institutions will among other things share relevant information, assist each other with investigation, research and analysis of cases that one party may be engaged in, and conduct joint training exercises.