ONLINE SOUTH AFRICA NGB Clarifies Online Gambling Laws 2 years ago Samuel Post Views: 464 The National Gambling Board of South Africa has once more made its position on the legal status of gambling online for citizens of this country crystal clear. No one is authorised to engage in casino games of any kind online and those caught doing so will suffer severe penalties. The reminder has been issued in response to questions being raised around the exact status of online gambling in the country. The NGB’s position is that only online sports betting is permitted. An Unequivocal No In a media statement, the NGB has said that it is 100% illegal to engage in games of chance with online operators. This update was extended not just to the general public but to online operators as well. Anyone offering any kind of gambling product or service to South Africans are guilty of an offence and will be subject to criminal prosecution. The NGB cautioned citizens that any kind of participation is illegal and stands a criminal offence, with the punishment of a fine of as much as R10 million possible or a jail term of 10 years. Winnings will additionally be confiscated and absorbed by the state. The NGB referred to Section 11 of the National Gambling Act 2004 which states that unauthorised interactive gaming is against the law and people are not allowed to engage in these activities. While this law would have been lifted by the National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008, passed in July that year, it has never come into effect. It will only become operational when it is published by the Government Gazette, which has not yet occurred. Because this revision will only take hold when the President fixes a date to do so and it is proclaimed by the Gazette, it cannot be referenced in terms of iGaming. The 2004 Act stands supreme as a prescript in terms of online gambling in South Africa and in terms thereof, it remains forbidden. Land-Based vs Online Gambling Examples of interactive gambling in South Africa are defined as those available via smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. While casino games at brick-and-mortar venues are lawful, these need to have a valid license prominently displayed by the necessary licensing authority. Any setting which does not have this permit in place will be deemed illegal and operating against national and provincial gambling legislation. The onus is on both operators and would-be players alike to ensure that any games of chance are legally being provided because failure to do so stands as criminal conduct. The NGB went on to say that anyone found guilty of this kind of activity will be punished to the full extent of the law. Source: gamblers.africa About Post Author Samuel I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. See author's posts SamuelI am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: gambling online, NGB, South Africa Continue Reading Previous Global Bet strikes first Virtual Sports deal in South Africa with SupabetsNext Popular Bitcoin video slots by top providers in the African market 2020 More Stories NIGERIA ONLINE Does Nigeria really have the biggest gambling industry in Africa? 3 days ago Szarlot NIGERIA ONLINE Safest Betting Apps for Nigerian Players 3 days ago Samuel KENYA ONLINE The Rise of Crypto Casinos in Kenya 4 days ago Samuel ONLINE WORLD NEWS Pragmatic Play broadens Czech presence 5 days ago Iwo Bulski EXPERTS SOUTH AFRICA The Gambling Laws of South Africa 5 days ago Szarlot GAMES ONLINE Endorphina releases its new Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits slot! 5 days ago Iwo Bulski NIGERIA ONLINE Google suspends 5.6m advertisers in Nigeria 5 days ago Samuel KENYA ONLINE NCC, NLRC collaborate to fight illicit gamers 6 days ago Samuel ONLINE WORLD NEWS Market ratings by online gambling development in 2023 1 week ago Iwo Bulski CASINO SOUTH AFRICA COSATU North West welcomes the decision to retain the casino license in Mafikeng 2 weeks ago Samuel ONLINE WORLD NEWS TVBET delivers live games to LATAM through partnership with Pixbet 2 weeks ago Iwo Bulski BETTING SOUTH AFRICA SIS extends Africa footprint with Jolibet deal for Racing content 2 weeks ago Szarlot Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.