Mauritius is eliminating a specific category of gambling licenses as part of its new budget, which also includes enhanced state oversight on casino operations. Under the 2026/27 budget proposal, the licensing for hotel casinos will be discontinued, while the digital games framework established in 2025 will expand to include limited payout machine operators. Additionally, all casinos and Gaming Houses will be required to connect to the Mauritius Revenue Authority's Central Electronic Monitoring System (CEMS), enhancing regulatory control on the casino floor.
This reform is one of the most significant alterations to the country’s gambling regulations since the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act was consolidated in 2007.
While presenting the Finance Bill, Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam announced that all betting terminals must be registered with the Director General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority, linking to the CEMS. This requirement will also extend to all casinos and Gaming Houses.
These reforms build on previous initiatives aimed at restoring public trust in the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) and its oversight of vital sectors like horse racing. During a parliamentary session on 4 July 2025, Ramgoolam emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring the GRA operates as a reliable regulator in the gaming and betting industries.
The comprehensive discussions on the new gambling regulations will commence upon the Finance Bill's presentation to the National Assembly. A cabinet meeting on 3 July 2026 confirmed that a committee led by the Prime Minister will finalize the necessary legislation, with the first meeting scheduled for 8 July.
Although Ramgoolam did not highlight gambling specifics during his budget presentation on 19 June, details are outlined in Section 44 of the budget annex, which includes over two dozen amendments to the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act. The amendments will remove definitions related to "hotel casino" and related terms as these activities will no longer be authorized, rendering the specialized licensing regime for hotel casinos obsolete. From now on, hotel-operated casinos will require a standard casino license, contingent on the updated regulations.
The budget also extends the digital games licensing system, previously available to casino and gaming house operators, to include limited payout machine operators as a new category. Furthermore, platforms must receive certification from accredited independent gaming laboratories prior to operation.
Another major operational update involves the extension of the CEMS, ensuring that betting operators' servers and terminals connect to the GRA's system as well as requiring casino and Gaming House servers to link directly to the MRA's CEMS. New divisions for Responsible Gambling and Communications, as well as Finance and Procurement, will be established within the GRA to further strengthen regulatory frameworks.
Under the new regulations, bookmakers can now operate up to five betting terminals within authorized locations, an increase from three, with one terminal dedicated exclusively for payouts. Additionally, the taxation model on horse racing betting will be adjusted to calculate tax based on stakes minus payouts rather than on total stakes.
These developments follow the passing of the Anti-Money Laundering, Combatting the Financing of Terrorism, and Countering Proliferation Financing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill in April 2026. During the bill's introduction on 31 March, Financial Services Minister Jyoti Jeetun noted that amendments to the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act and other laws aim to ensure transparency in ownership for gambling operators and to enhance the powers of fiscal investigations while incorporating necessary safeguards.
Once the legislative process for the Finance Bill and the Economic and Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 is complete, Mauritius will have considerably increased both fiscal monitoring and regulatory supervision over its gambling sector, ensuring robust compliance and regulatory measures.
