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About Chicken Road
Several other operators have responded to the UK tax hikes by announcing shop closures.
In March, William Hill told staff it plans to permanently close approximately 200 of its retail shops in the UK, around 15% of Evoke’s retail estate.
Last month, meanwhile, Betfred announced plans to shutter 132 of its UK betting shops, reducing its workforce by over 600 employees.
What is Chicken Road?
They included tampering with a witness, lying to probation officers about a cell phone, illegally recording a phone call, maintaining a concealed “sex room” inside his home, failing a drug test, and associating with a convicted felon.
Navarro told Rashid she doubted his claims of rehabilitation, saying she was “very disappointed” and “not sure I believe” he is a changed person.
Navarro noted during Thursday’s hearing that she had not presided over Rashid’s original plea agreement and had previously expressed concern that the deal did not fully reflect the severity of his conduct.
What is Chicken Road?
The Authority said licensed operators accepted P150 million in wagers in March 2025, paid P135 million in winnings and generated P15 million in gross gambling revenue. It also estimated that only about 40% of Botswana’s estimated 550,000 active bettors were using licensed local operators, leaving a substantial share of demand with unregulated platforms.
By December 2025, Kemorwale said gambling revenue had exceeded P700m, and the Authority expected the industry to surpass P1 billion by the end of the 2026/27 financial year in March 2027.
Kemorwale said Botswana needed to modernise oversight as the sector developed, including through a central electronic monitoring system and stronger enforcement capability. “Truth be told, this industry is evolving as the sun rises. You snooze, you lose,” Kemorwale said. He added that the Authority still relies on outside specialists for some technical regulatory work because domestic expertise is limited.
