The National Gambling Act of South Africa was enacted on 1 November 2004, updating the 1996 Act to extend regulatory oversight functions of the National Gambling Board and to introduce a number of measures aimed at addressing problem gambling. More recently a National Gambling Amendment Bill has been proposed for the legalisation and proper regulation of interactive gambling.

At the end of August the Casino Association of South Africa (CASA) called for more research into the commercial viability and socio-economic implications of a legalised interactive gambling industry and for further consultation with national and international stakeholders. CASA claims that the amendment bill is inadequate particularly in respect to the lack of clarity on the tax issues.
Under the bill the National Gambling Board would issue interactive gambling licences. This has been opposed by both CASA and the provincial Gauteng Gambling Board. Casino licences are issued by the individual provinces and CASA believes that inconsistency and ambiguity would be created by granting licensing powers to the National Gambling Board.

Casino operators in South Africa are pushing to have interactive licences automatically granted to them. This has already been denied by the National Assembly but the bill is now under scrutiny by the provincial legislatures, and CASA is again calling for the proposed amendments to undergo a further period of research and assessment. The time for submissions to be made on the bill is nearly at an end. (E-10.18.07)

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