The gambling industry in South Africa has become a leisurely form of tourist attraction and local entertainment in the recent decades, as more and more casinos have been established in the country. With luxury resorts like Sun International, Emperors Palace and  Montecasino, South Africa has been known to cater for those passionate about poker or rooting for roulette.

However, the South African government has decided to implement new gambling legislation. These legislations, which are known as the National Gambling Amendment Bill and are stricter than that of before, were passed on Friday, 20 July, by Rob Davies, who is the Minister of Trade and Industry.

The National Gambling Amendment Bill affects all areas of gaming, such as the lottery, casino gambling, horse racing, sports betting and online gambling. The last gambling legislation was passed in 2004. This National Gambling Act was updated in 2008 and, 10 years later, it has been amended once again. The changes have made the laws pertaining to iGaming a lot firmer. These adjustments include amending the National Gambling Board to be a National Gambling Regulator, implementing within horse racing a regulation body, and the prohibition of dog races, as well as betting on dog racing in any form.

In addition, there will be stricter regulations on electronic bingo, horse racing and the forfeiture of unlawful winnings.

Player implications

What most South African citizens, and many foreigners looking for a casino and resort destination, will be happy to hear is that the major forms of gambling will not be largely affected. More than anything, these amendments will improve the iGaming environment and create a more professional level of gambling. Traditional gambling is still safe and legal, so there is no need to worry in that regard. Recently, after the bill was passed, news surfaced of plans to build a new casino in Somerset West, Cape Town, which makes it clear that this form of gambling is still a safe bet.

Online platforms?

With regards to the less traditional forms of gambling, no major changes have been implemented. The National Gambling Act of 2004 had ruled online gambling as illegal, specifically when practised through a South African-based online operation. However, similar to many other countries, online gambling through an offshore website does not fall under the gambling jurisdictions of South Africa. This means online gambling sites like Mr Green, which is based in another country, are the legal options for citizens looking to gamble online. Because of the ever-advancing nature of modern technology, this form of iGaming has boomed, resulting in an array of options online.

As the forms of gambling continue to grow, a vast number of countries, such as the United States, England and Canada, have revisited their own laws, particularly online gambling, to cater for the trends of the times. With many countries yet to begin with these changes, the laws in South Africa still accommodate a wide variety of gambling.

Whether it be for economic reasons, tourist attraction or local entertainment, the retaining of these imperative laws in the country’s gambling industry is something no bettor or risk-taker is going to complain about any time soon.