On Wednesday, the South African National Gambling Board officially launched an online verification portal aimed at listing all legally authorized gambling operators nationwide. This initiative is part of a larger effort to combat illegal gambling activities and guide consumers towards regulated channels. The portal is linked to the official website of the National Gambling Board and was developed in collaboration with provincial licensing authorities, allowing searches for all legal licensed physical and online gambling operators in South Africa. The database will be continuously updated and made available to the public, law enforcement, tax authorities, and financial institutions. In essence, before South African players place their bets, they can check this website to avoid falling into illegal traps.
"A Crucial Step": Protecting Players from Illegal Gambling Risks
Lungile Dukwana, the acting CEO of the National Gambling Board, emphasized the importance of this platform in protecting South African citizens from the harms of illegal gambling. "This platform is a crucial step in protecting South Africans from the dangers of illegal gambling," he stated. The registry provides a reliable resource for verifying licensed gambling operators, ensuring that consumers gamble in a safe, regulated environment while enhancing industry oversight and accountability. In other words, only the operators listed on the portal are legally authorized to provide gambling services in South Africa.
Market Background: Surge in Betting Amounts, Rampant Illegal Operations
South Africa is the largest regulated gambling market in Africa, overseen by provincial and national regulatory bodies. The National Gambling Board reports that in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, the national betting amount reached 1.5 trillion South African Rand (approximately 89 billion USD), a 31.3% increase from the previous fiscal year. However, the regulatory framework has struggled to keep up with the rise of cross-border online gambling and unauthorized offshore gambling sites targeting South African players. A recent ruling by the Gauteng High Court reaffirmed that online casinos remain illegal under current national law, highlighting inconsistencies in provincial enforcement and the growing gap between legislation and the digital market reality. South Africa is currently considering imposing a 20% tax on total gambling revenue, but a spokesperson for the Free Market Foundation warned, "The result could be more users being pushed towards offshore online casinos, which are not subject to existing regulatory frameworks and do not pay gambling taxes."
Combatting Unlicensed Operations: 62% of Online Gambling Comes from the Black Market
Illegal and offshore gambling continues to pose significant challenges to South African regulatory authorities. The South African Gambling Association recently reported that 62% of online gambling in South Africa comes from unlicensed operators. The new portal of the National Gambling Board aims to increase transparency and consumer awareness by encouraging individuals to verify operators before placing bets. "We are not encouraging gambling beyond the scope of entertainment, but rather promoting informed and responsible behavior for those who choose to engage in gambling," Dukwana explained. The committee also emphasized consumer protection, ensuring that gambling through licensed operators provides access to dispute resolution mechanisms, compliance with responsible gambling agreements, and anti-money laundering requirements. The National Gambling Board plans to collaborate with financial institutions using the verification list to help authorities block unlicensed operators from transacting through South African banks and payment providers. For more updates on African gambling regulations, keep an eye on the PASA official website.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel: https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
