90 Illegal Online Gambling Sites Operating in South Africa, Says Minister Tau

90 Illegal Online Gambling Sites Operating in South Africa, Says Minister Tau

At least 90 illegal online gambling websites are currently operating in South Africa, Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau has revealed in a written reply to Parliament.

Responding to questions from Rise Mzansi MP Songezo Zibi, Tau confirmed that the National Gambling Board (NGB) identified the websites—most of which are licensed overseas and operate without approval from South African authorities.

“The National Gambling Board did not engage with the operators of the illegal gambling websites, and the operators did not block their illegal sites,” Tau noted.

The NGB has allocated R596,000 for identifying and addressing these illegal sites during the 2025/26 financial year. This budget includes travel costs and legal enforcement forum meetings.

Tau said identification efforts rely on third-party information, including confiscated unlawful winnings, public complaints submitted via the NGB fraud hotline and email, and the use of a prescribed form listing the sites involved.

If a site is found to be registered outside South Africa and not licensed locally, it is classified as illegal. The NGB confirms with the provinces whether an operator holds a valid license, using URLs to assist in the verification process.

In the past year, the NGB forwarded ten such sites to Google Africa for removal from search results, but none have been taken down. The NGB has also engaged with Google South Africa on the matter.

Tau further stated that while the NGB works with internet service providers and platform stakeholders to block illegal sites, they do not engage directly with the offshore operators.

Zibi’s inquiry also brought attention to a troubling governance gap, the National Gambling Board has had no board members since 2014. Tau confirmed the selection process is underway and pending Cabinet approval.

As online gambling grows in popularity, the enforcement vacuum and lack of digital regulation raise concerns about consumer protection, money laundering, and state revenue loss.

{Source: IOL}

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