Outside of horse race betting, gambling was outlawed in South Africa until 1996. The government felt the necessity to legislate the activity and bring in much-needed money owing to its explosive growth across Africa and the rest of the world.
The legalization of gambling in the country came about with the passage of the National Gaming Act of 1996. In 2004, the Act was amended to include the National Gambling Policy Council, whose role is to guarantee that federal and provincial governments have consistent policies regarding gambling. Today, South Africa’s law on gambling says that all online gambling sites that are legal must have a licence from the government.
National Gambling Board
The Act established the National Gaming Board (NGB) to coordinate and regulate the gambling industry in South Africa. At National Gaming Policy Council meetings, provincial executives responsible for gambling address policy problems under the direction of the minister responsible for the Department of Commerce and Industry.
As well as initiating research and reporting on the societal impact and gambling trends. This body is responsible for assessing the licences issued by the Provincial Bodies and ensuring compliance by the licence holders.
Online Casino Laws
Since the government prohibits citizens from congregating in public, many gamblers turn to online casinos to satisfy their gambling needs.
The Remote Gambling Law of 2014 was an unsuccessful attempt to regulate the burgeoning online gambling sector. People continue to use unlawful sites despite the fact that they are forbidden by law.
Online Sports Betting Laws
Despite the absence of a specifically worded law, online sports betting is perfectly legitimate. Any licensed South African interactive games can legally offer online sports betting under the country’s National Gambling Act. Other prohibited actions and potential legal consequences for engaging in them are detailed in the Act’s Sections 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
Online Poker Laws
Until the South African judiciary made its position clear, many people were unsure whether or not online poker was actually prohibited there. There are three things that, however, must be recognised:
- Online poker is still popular among gamblers, particularly on foreign sites.
- No one has ever faced criminal charges in South Africa for engaging in internet poker activity.
- All nine provinces are still working on similar legislation.
From this, we can infer that internet poker may be prohibited by law; whether or not this is actually the case is open to question.
Online Lottery Laws
Since 1996, when the National Gaming Act was passed and the Lotto became legally sanctioned. It has become a popular form of gambling among regular people. Unfortunately, the ever-changing nature of technology meant that the act did not account for online lottery gaming.
The NGB reinstituted their ban on all online lottery activities, including the resurgence of the old practice. Despite this, South Africans continue to play an online lottery due to a lack of alternatives.
Online Bingo Laws
The provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal all continue to see significant demand for traditional, offline Bingo. Bingo was legalised for use both inside and outside of casinos by the National Gaming Control Board. Gauteng adopted the usage of high-tech electronic bingo terminals (EBTs). The other jurisdictions have updated their laws to incorporate EBTs and the procedures for running them. As a result, online bingo has been secretly introduced using EBTs, albeit in relatively small numbers.
Final Thoughts
South Africa’s legal framework for online gambling has yet to catch up with the rapidly developing field of iGaming. Keeping up with technological developments is essential, in our opinion, because people will always be interested in gambling, especially if the stakes are large.
