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How to play Turning Totems
In court Friday, DOJ attorney Amber Dutton-Bynum argued that Scotts Valley could not meet the high threshold for irreparable harm required to secure an injunction. She maintained that the tribe knowingly chose to invest in the Preview Casino while its gaming status remained uncertain, as reported by Law360. Dutton-Bynum added that the modular buildings could easily be repurposed for non-gaming commercial uses if the prohibition stands.
Patrick Bergin, an attorney for Scotts Valley, rejected that argument, noting the difficulty of converting a site explicitly planned and built for gaming into something like an auto dealership.
Bergin also emphasized that the tribe had formally notified Interior twice about its launch timeline for the Preview Casino, providing regular progress updates without ever receiving a directive from federal officials to halt the project.
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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.
Authorities were also reported to be working with communications and financial-sector bodies to restrict access to illegal platforms and disrupt associated payment channels.
With parliamentary approval secured, attention will now turn to presidential assent, commencement and implementation. The Gambling Authority will face the task of translating the proposed reforms into stronger digital oversight, more effective action against unlicensed operators and practical customer safeguards as Botswana’s regulated market continues to expand.
How to play Turning Totems
The charter also made a series of other recommendations. It suggested that companies should designate a senior member of staff responsible for governance of the technology. It additionally recommended an AI oversight or ethics committee.
The framework also urged companies to implement rollback mechanisms and “kill-switch” controls for higher-impact systems.
For AI-powered customer support and chat, operators are encouraged to set clear parameters for when conversations should be moved to a human member of staff. These include repeated low-confidence responses, unresolved queries, indications of distress, or a customer simply asking to speak to a human.
