Recently, the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s primary opposition party to the African National Congress (ANC) government, formally introduced a new legislative proposal known as the Remote Gambling Bill (B11-2024) to Parliament.
The primary aim of this bill is to regulate remote gambling activities within the country.
The motivation behind this legislative initiative stems from extensive consultations with industry experts over a period of more than two years. Additionally, it is a response to a significant oversight by the ANC, which failed to establish adequate regulations and safeguards for the online gambling sector.
In 2008, the President sanctioned the National Gambling Amendment Act, designed to regulate online gambling. However, despite nearly sixteen years having passed, this act has yet to be enacted, leaving a legal vacuum within the industry.
This situation is concerning given the substantial growth of internet usage since then. The absence of formal regulation not only facilitates criminal activities but also undermines the rule of law. Unlike land-based gaming establishments, online platforms lack comparable levels of public protection. Moreover, the lack of regulation results in job losses to other gambling jurisdictions and the loss of billions of Rand in revenue.
Over the past sixteen years, the ANC has demonstrated a lack of commitment to safeguarding the industry and its participants from criminal elements. Consequently, the DA has taken it upon itself to address this gap by submitting the Remote Gambling Bill through a private member’s formal proposal.
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