South African public hearings on draft National Gambling Act

The South African Government’s Trade and Industry Portfolio Committee has been urged to develop a national cyber-policing strategy to guard against internet fraud.

The Committee heard from University of Johannesburg Professor Basie von Solms at public hearings held this week on draft amendments to the National Gambling Act.

Solms is pushing for the strategy to protect the country’s internet-using citizens from internet fraud such as the Rands 42 million robbery of the South African Postbank that took place over the Christmas period.

Rather than prohibiting access to internet gambling websites, Solms is urging strict legalisation of online gambling which would secure the confidentiality and security of individual players information as well as identify under-aged players, reports The Business Day.

Online gambling in South Africa could potentially generate revenues of around Rands 6 billion if correctly regulated, Tom Tuxworth, public affairs manager at Betfair was quoted as saying.

“Online-specific regulation is required to protect customers and to enable effective taxation. Onerous regulation, limited product offerings and high taxes force customers to the offshore and unregulated markets, while realistic regulation limits losses to offshore operators and protects players,” added Tuxworth.

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