Online Casino in South Africa – Is it legal?
The judgment by the North Gauteng High Court on the jurisdiction of online gambling in South Africa was handed down on the 20th August 2010 declaring it illegal to gamble online in South Africa.
Those persons in breach of the legislation will now have to face the full force of the law and will be fined R10m or spend 10 years in jail.
This is how it stands at present for Online Casino owners and players. However there has been talk of legalizing gambling once again in South Africa with legislators and industry majors battling it out on what they believe is lawful. This change of events was brought about by the passing of the National Gambling Amendment Bill already approved by the National assembly and is waiting the approval of the National Council of Provinces which is stalling its go ahead.
The National Council of Provinces however is firmly opposed to the idea of online casino in South Africa and especially to the idea of online casino advertising.
Internet operators who offer online gambling, the player who takes part and even the service providers will be held accountable for their actions should this law be broken. Those entities that provide or facilitate advertising of online gambling including, radio, television stations and print media will also face the law.
This comes as a surprise as the most forms of casino gambling are legalized in South Africa and greatly helps the economy, bringing in R14 billion each year.
This article was written for Piggs Peak Casino, detailing the history of online casino in South Africa.