South Africa to tighten gambling laws

Along with stringent new anti-alcohol abuse restrictions, the South African government announced Monday that it is to tighten legislation governing gambling in the country.

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said at a media briefing session that the provisions of the National Gambling Amendment Bill are being made public for a 45-day window in which he hopes broader society will offer comment and suggestions.

The bill aims to strengthen the enforcement and regulation of the industry in order to minimise the social ills associated with gambling, he said.

Minister Davies observed that while the gambling industry contributes significantly to the country’s GDP and jobs, it also has a negative impact regarding problem gambling, and has economic consequences for the public – in 2014 South Africans lost R17.2 billion at land casinos (online casino gambling is illegal under SA law).

The amendment bill proposes that the National Gambling Board should become the national gambling regulator. The statutory body would be headed by a CEO to be located within the DTI.

There is provision for more restrictions on gambling advertising to ensure that unsolicited messages that are directed towards vulnerable groups like minors are banned.

Unlawful winnings emanating from online gambling, which is illegal in South Africa, will be confiscated, he said, adding that the gambling inspectorate will work with the national Financial Intelligence Centre to target unlawful winnings.

Related and similar