Avia Rush

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“If the tax burden alone makes it impossible to establish the occupation of slot machine operators as the economic basis of one’s livelihood within the municipality,” the ruling said. 

Braun also argued that the public had been excluded from the preparatory finance committee meeting without justification.

But the court said that point did not affect the validity of the by-law, adding that it saw no evidence of a tax that would choke businesses. 

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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.

Illegal betting remained a central enforcement concern. In December 2025, the Gambling Authority and Financial Intelligence Agency were reported to be investigating eight foreign-based betting websites allegedly using local proxies to operate in Botswana.

What is Avia Rush?

Pietras was charged with dozens of unfair trade practices, larceny, and embezzlement counts. Prosecutors also accused him of violating health and zoning laws by living at his funeral home in Coventry.

Prosecutors said victims were discovered at each of Pietras’ funeral homes, including Coventry-Pietras and Angels Memorial funeral homes in Coventry, Tolland Memorial Funeral Home, and Burke-Fortin and Small & Pietras funeral homes in Vernon.

Many of the victims weren’t happy Pietras was offered a plea deal.