The South African Betting Association SABA once again calls for an acceleration in the crackdown on offshore illegal gambling platforms, believing that the problem with the current system is not the lack of prohibitive clauses, but the lack of enforceable tools for site blocking, payment disruption, and inter-departmental collaboration, and proposes a six-point national enforcement plan.
Six-point plan covers definitions of site blocking and payments
SABA suggests clarifying the legal definition of illegal operators, expanding the regulatory authority's website blocking powers, cutting off the payment systems used by illegal platforms, and holding accountable payment service providers, affiliate marketers, and other facilitators. The plan also calls for enhanced scrutiny of influencer promotions and the establishment of a central coordination mechanism.
The industry says the current situation is prohibited but difficult to enforce
The association has conducted regulatory gap analysis, international comparisons, and public education with the National Gambling Board, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Its conclusion is that South Africa already has laws prohibiting illegal online gambling, but regulators lack the authority for rapid identification, freezing of funds, and cross-departmental action.
Website blocking is just the first step
SABA welcomes the National Gambling Board's commissioning of service providers to block illegal websites, but believes that simply blocking domain names can be easily circumvented by mirror sites and alternative entries. More comprehensive measures should also combine High Court confiscation procedures, payment blocking, advertising restrictions, intelligence investigations, and cross-border regulatory cooperation.
Market size data shows significant discrepancies
Reports citing data claim that by 2025, the transaction size of illegal platforms will be 5 trillion Rand, the regulated market will be 75 trillion Rand, and the former accounts for about 3.75%, but these three figures are not entirely consistent arithmetically. The industry should clarify turnover, gross income, and sample scope when using estimates to avoid confusion.
Research says illegal online activity is very high
A 2023 study commissioned by SABA estimates that illegal operators account for about 62% of South Africa's online gambling activities, with over 50 billion Rand in gross gambling revenue flowing overseas each year, and about 16 million South Africans have used illegal platforms in the past 12 months. Such estimates still need continuous verification by independent data.
Consumer protection is the core of enforcement
Unlicensed platforms do not pay local taxes and are usually not subject to player fund segregation, complaints, age verification, and responsible gambling rules. About 39 million South Africans live below the upper-middle poverty line, and regulatory agencies especially need to conduct risk warnings and legal channel education during major events.
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