Forest Band

What is Forest Band?

Arbitrators found against the companies and ordered them to pay millions of dollars toward Laos’ legal costs and expenses.

One tribunal found in 2019 that Lao Holdings had acted in bad faith and ordered it to pay Laos $1.95 million. Another made a similar finding against Sanum and awarded the government $1.78 million.

A third arbitration produced another award worth nearly $1.3 million, taking the amount Laos is seeking to more than $5 million.

What is Forest Band?

Peter Kesitilwe, CEO of the AiA, said the industry’s growth must be matched by a stronger focus on player protection, highlighting the need for greater collaboration between regulators and operators.

“As Africa’s gambling industry continues to grow, player protection must grow with it,” he said. “Africa Safer Gambling Week brings regulators and industry together around a shared commitment to safer gambling and stronger consumer protection.

“We fully support consumers having the tools and information they need to gamble responsibly, this week, like every week, is about ensuring our customers’ safety.”

How to play Forest Band

Singapore’s experience shows that tourism growth and stringent social safeguards need not be mutually exclusive. Since its IRs opened, international visitor arrivals have risen from 9.7 million in 2009 to 16.9 million in 2025, while tourism receipts more than doubled from S$12.4 billion to a record S$32.8 billion.

At the same time, problem and pathological gambling rates among Singaporean adults have remained stable, with the rate declining notably between 2023 and 2025. As the spokesperson puts it, the model blends “two objectives together: generating tourism and economic benefits while making responsible gambling and social safeguards central to the model”.

The model is also evolving beyond gaming. RWS’ S$6.8 billion RWS 2.0 transformation is expanding its mix of attractions, hospitality, retail and lifestyle offerings, with the aim to “broaden the appeal of the destination and encourage repeat visitation”.