SCA judgment tightens online gambling rules, bans bookmakers from offering roulette and casino gaming
The National Gambling Board (NGB) has welcomed a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling confirming that bookmakers in South Africa are not allowed to offer roulette
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The National Gambling Board (NGB) has welcomed a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling confirming that bookmakers in South Africa are not allowed to offer roulette or other casino-style games online.
The court found that these games fall under casino gambling, which is strictly regulated, and cannot be offered by betting operators. The ruling also clarified that bookmakers cannot disguise casino games as contingency bets, as these can only apply to real-world events that are yet to occur.
"South Africa does not permit interactive gambling, while the betting sector is permitted to offer their fixed odds betting through online platforms," the NGB said.
"The authority to accept bets online by betting licenses was not intended to extend to interactive gambling, as this remains unlawful in terms of section 11 of the National Gambling Act 7 of 2004 (“NGA”). By offering online casino-type games, certain betting operators are effectively operating as casinos, in contravention of the law".
The NGB added that this practice was unfair, as licensed casinos are prohibited from offering similar casino-style games online and are subject to higher tax obligations than bookmakers.
Acting NGB Chief Executive Officer, Lungile Dukwana, also "called on the Provincial Licensing Authorities to monitor their respective licenseescomply with the applicable law and their licence conditions".
“The NGB calls on the Provincial Licensing Authorities to monitor that their respective licensees comply with the applicable law and their licence conditions, and also ensure that swift and decisive action is taken in accordance with the applicable laws of the country in cases of non-compliance.”
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mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za