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From 6 July 2006, a graphic version of the current edition is available at the Daily News Online web site.

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The Lobatse High Court last year ruled that the decision taken by the Casino Control Board on October 15 to close the business of Racewood Investments, trading as Circus Circus Entertainment, "is set aside and declared to be irregular and ultra vires".

The legal wrangle between the two parties started last October when the board decided to close the business on the grounds that it was not licensed.

Subsequently, Racewood Investments approached the court for arbitration on a matter of urgency, and the court ruled in its favour.

However, deputy attorney general Abraham Keetshabe maintained in an interview with BOPA that the business in question was operating illegally.

"We want to approach the court and make an application for the order to be rescinded since the business is not legal.

"According to the Casino Act, a casino must be licensed, but the business does not have any licence. Even the place where it is situated is inappropriate," Keetshabe said.

Ministry of Trade and Industry, deputy permanent secretary Gaylard Kombani, who is a member of the Casino Control Board, was adamant the business in question "is a casino in all respects, as it has slot machines that are no different from those at the Gaborone Sun or Grand Palm".

Kombani said, " we are not in doubt that the place is a casino, which of course is operating unlawfully and must, therefore, be closed. There is no difference in what they do from what is done in other casinos." The Act describes a casino as "premises on which gaming is conducted and in respect of which a licence is in force".

It defines game as "a game of chance played for money or money's worth".

The establishment, which has been operating for months now has slot machines displaying the "jackpots to be won, 777 bar, casino skills and cards." But manager Cecil Somers insisted that he was running "a legitimate entertainment centre' for which he did not need a licence.

Somers said people visited the place "just to have fun, relax and for entertainment".

A BOPA reporter, who toured the centre met clients, who bought some electronic tokens for up to P50 to play the game.

When their funds were exhausted the machine wrote: " You credit 0," thus giving them an option to recharge the token.

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