Domestic online casinos are prohibited, but that doesn't stop unlicensed sites from offering their games to players.Īn unregulated market is dangerous for players and also means the government misses out on potential taxes and fees from licensed operators. Simply put, players can still access offshore casinos without a realistic fear of punishment. The result of this was a largely unregulated market that is still the case today. This permitted online sports betting and virtual lottery, as long as they were via licensed operators. Online sports and horse race betting, though, was permitted for licensed businesses.Īn amendment to the original act, which attempted to legalize all forms of online gambling and pave the way for a regulated industry, was blocked, resulting in a watered-down version passing in 2008. That's because the bill outlawed interactive online casino games, including poker and bingo, for both operators and players. In 2004, the government passed the National Gambling Act, but it wasn't good news for online casino fans. If we want to get to the start of online gambling as a legal concept in South Africa, we have to turn the clocks back to the early 2000s. Online gambling in South Africa: a legal history recap How to choose the best online casino in South Africa for you.
