Botswana is one of Africa’s success stories; a country of diverse natural habitats, generous resources, and a fast-growing tourist sector, attracted by its proximity to South Africa and also by its superb game reserves and national parks. Botswana casinos are a growing sector of the economy, and casinos have sprung up in several cities in the country, including the capital, Gaborone, and the northern capital, Francistown. Consequently, the Botswana government has taken great steps to ensure that the development of Botswana casinos continues in line with the growing numbers of foreign visitors.
Francistown is the largest city in northern Botswana and also home to two casinos, the Marang Hotel, and the Admiral at the Thapama Hotel. The city was the site of southern Africa’s first “gold rush” in the mid 19th century, which brought people in from all over the globe in search of their fortune. Unfortunately for them, the gold proved difficult and costly to mine, and most of the mining operations fell into disuse, though a few remain. Nowadays, the casinos of Francistown provide visitors with the chance to strike it lucky; there is still gold here, if...