Mauritius is set to abolish an entire category of gambling licenses, while also expanding its fiscal oversight over casinos. The 2026/27 budget reveals that the licensing for hotel casinos will cease entirely. Furthermore, the digital gaming framework established in 2025 is set to include limited payout machine operators. All casino and Gaming House servers must connect to the Mauritius Revenue Authority’s Central Electronic Monitoring System (CEMS).
These changes represent a significant shift in the island’s gambling regulatory landscape, marking the largest update since the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act was consolidated in 2007.
Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam presented the Finance Bill, which mandates that all betting terminals must now be registered with the Director General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority and linked to CEMS. The 2026/27 measures extend this requirement to all casinos and Gaming Houses.
These reforms follow prior efforts to fortify public trust in the Gambling Regulatory Authority. On July 4, 2025, during the last major gambling reform discussion, Ramgoolam emphasized the government’s commitment to restoring faith in the GRA, especially regarding its oversight of horse racing, ensuring it operates as a reliable regulator in the gaming and betting sectors.
Initial parliamentary discussions regarding the 2026/27 gambling reforms will commence after the Finance Bill is introduced in the National Assembly. The Cabinet confirmed on July 3, 2026, that an economic committee, led by the prime minister, will finalize the legislation, with its first meeting scheduled for July 8.
While presenting the budget on June 19, Ramgoolam did not specifically mention gambling in his speech. The relevant information is contained in Section 44 of the budget annex, which details over two dozen amendments to the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act. This annex mandates the removal of definitions for "hotel casino," "hotel casino games," "hotel casino gaming machine," and "hotel casino operator," signifying that these activities will no longer receive authorization, along with repealing provisions for their licensing and operation. Consequently, hotels wanting to operate casinos will now require a standard casino license, subject to the updated regulations.
The budget also expands the existing digital games framework. Previously, both casino and gaming house operators were eligible for digital gaming licenses. The new amendments add limited payout machine operators as a third category, and introduce a definition of "digital games" into the Act for the first time. Each digital game platform must now obtain certification from an accredited independent gaming laboratory prior to launch.
Moreover, the most notable change involves extending CEMS to include casino operations. The annex stipulates that betting operators' servers and terminals must connect to the GRA’s server, while casino and Gaming House servers must connect directly to the MRA’s CEMS.
In conjunction with the CEMS expansion, the bill establishes two new divisions within the GRA: a Responsible Gambling and Communications Division, and a Finance and Procurement Division. Bookmakers will now be allowed to operate up to five betting terminals within approved premises, an increase from three, with one terminal designated solely for payouts. Additionally, the horse racing betting tax will now be calculated based on net stakes, excluding payouts, rather than gross stakes.
These initiatives build on the Anti-Money Laundering, Combatting the Financing of Terrorism, and Countering Proliferation Financing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill passed in April 2026. On March 31, Financial Services Minister Jyoti Jeetun stated that there will be amendments to the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act, the Income Tax Act, and the Mauritius Revenue Authority Act to impose beneficial ownership disclosures at the licensing stage for gambling operators, introduce cash transaction limits, and enhance fiscal investigation powers with specific safeguards for search and seizure processes.
Following the completion of the legislative process for the Finance Bill and the Economic and Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, Mauritius will significantly enhance both fiscal scrutiny and regulatory oversight concerning its gambling sector.
In January, local reporting suggested that the horse racing sector was inadequately regulated by the newly formed Horse Racing Integrity Division, a claim the regulator contested, asserting confidence in their oversight capacity.
