complex plans also included a casino and was to be completed in late 2009. But in November 2010 David Chow announced he had given up the plan to build the resort on the island. Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho also wanted to develop a hotel-casino project on an islet near the capital of Praia, but the project was rejected by the authorities due to unsuitable location. As Cape Verde and Macau are both former Portuguese colonies, it is not that surprising for Cape Verde to have ties with Macau.
The uncertain state of gambling regulation in Cape Verde deterred investors from committing to projects but in June 2011, the Government enacted new gambling laws, loosening the prohibitive regulation, especially in regard to concession fees. Five of the ten Cape Verdean islands - Santiago, São Vicente, Sal, Boavista, and Maio - are designated as permanent gambling areas, with the possibility of a temporary spread to the other parts of the jurisdiction. Gaming venues have to be allocated in four or five-star hotels or in dedicated casinos. The new regulation could finally see some of the ideas get underway in the coming years.
Mozambique
There are a few casinos in Mozambique, including the Polana Casino in the capital Maputo. In September 2011 it was reported that a group of Macanese entrepreneurs based in South Africa were interested in establishing a casino near Maputo. The site of the proposed casino will be at the new location of the Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM).
Rwanda
In December 2008, and after a few delays, Rwanda finally witnessed the grand opening of its first casino. Casino Kigali, located in Top Tower Hotel in the capital Kigali features seven gaming tables and 30 gaming machines. The casino is a project by Casino Games Rwanda, a subsidiary of Casino Games Africa. The project was backed by a Russian group Metelitsa which is active in the Russian leisure sector.
As there are currently no laws which regulate either the casino or any other type of gambling, it is unclear what licensing and tax procedures are applied specifically to the gaming industry. It has been said however, that the casino will be taxed at the rate of 15% on GGY and an additional 28% in corporation tax. There will be no additional taxes on tables and machines.
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Tanzania
Currently, there are eight casinos in Tanzania, seven of them in the capital Dar es Salaam. Probably the best known, and one of the most popular ones, is the Kilimanjaro casino, which is part of the Kempinski Hotel in Dar es Salaam.
KaiRo International operates two casinos in the country. The New Africa Hotel and Casino in Dar es Salaam opened in 1997 and was the first casino in Africa opened by the group. It is regarded as the top casino in the country. The casino has eight gaming tables and around 80 gaming machines. In partnership with the UK- listed bookmaker Ladbrokes, the casino has a separate room, a Ladbrokes lounge, where it is possible to place sports bets using online sports betting booths.
The group’s other casino, Safari Casino, is located in Arusha and it is the only casino in Tanzania outside the capital Dar es Salaam. Aside from Tanzania, the KaiRo Group also operates in Malawi and Ghana. The Las Vegas Casino in Dar es Salaam has recently installed PokerPro tables in its property. It is the first casino in Tanzania to take the PokerPro automated poker tables.
Tanzania is in the very early stages of drafting online gambling regulation. The reason it is being considered is an appreciation that technology has moved on that the government might find a new source of revenues. Early indications are that there will be a specific number of issues licensed in a competitive market rather than a monopoly. GBGC has already received enquiries from casino groups in Tanzania about launching online operations.
Whilst South Africa dominates the African gaming sector, our look at other countries has shown there are a number of other emerging markets on the continent. Those markets receiving interest from Macau are particularly interesting. It has taken less than a decade to transform Macau into the world’s largest casino jurisdiction. Will a fraction of that success be transported to Africa as Chinese businesses expand in Africa? For now, revenues compared to the established casino jurisdictions like Macau and Las Vegas are very small. But the next decade will undoubtedly see the gaming sector make a greater contribution to the GDP of these countries, as greater stability takes hold and economic development continues to make progress.
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