Taxes paid by casinos in Mozambique increased by more than 16% from January to September this year, to 281.5 million meticais compared to 241.1 million meticais in the same period last year.
The figures are included in the economic and social balance of the implementation of the State Budget (OE), consulted this Monday, 27 November, by Lusa, justifying that this nominal growth was due to the “conditioned reopening of casinos and some easing of restriction measures, due to the slowdown” of the covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, for the whole of 2023, according to the document, the government expects revenue of 891.3 million meticais from casino taxes, equivalent to 0.1 per cent of all Mozambican state revenue for this year.
According to information from Mozambique’s National Directorate of Gambling, the award of casino concessions in the country requires a share capital of the concessionaire’s commercial company of no less than the equivalent of around 2.7 million dollars (170.6 million meticais) and an investment, over up to five years, of at least 5.5 million dollars, which corresponds to 347.6 million meticais.
Even so, for the effective operation of games of chance, the concessionaires have to pay the Mozambican state the Special Tax on Gambling, which is levied on gross gaming revenue, of 20 per cent for concessions of up to 14 years, 25 per cent for concessions of up to 19 years, 30 per cent for concessions of 20 to 24 years and 35 per cent for concessions of 25 to 30 years.
“The concessionaires must also pay Stamp Duty, corresponding to 50 per cent of the price of entrance tickets to the casinos,” states the National Directorate of Games of Fortune or Chance, although it adds that they “are exempt from paying any other taxes levied on profits from the operation of the game”, as well as import duties on imported equipment and materials intended exclusively for the operation of the casino.
