As online sites brave the South African Internet space, where parliament seems to drag its feet to legislate online gambling, recent reports could bring some comfort to operators who are keen to be licensed and offer casino products in this growing market.

The Times reported last week that although gambling service providers may be based in another country or hold a licence to operate outside South Africa, online gambling is currently illegal in the country. All the same, online casinos that advertise extensively in the country will be pleased to know that a Bill related to online gambling is soon to be tabled before the National Assembly for approval.

Themba Marasha, National Gambling Board CEO, who has been reported to have approached several companies that have contravened restrictions on advertising, promoting and marketing online gambling businesses in South Africa, said: "The new law will enable people to licence Internet gambling, and South African citizens will be able to operate within a protected environment. However, acts of wrongdoing will disqualify them should they want to apply for a licence in the new South African gambling environment.”

Masotja said that the intention behind regulating the online gambling environment in South Africa was to protect consumers, not to punish them, and to put proper control and monitoring systems in place: "Players involved in interactive gambling currently play at their own risk and there’s no regulatory environment [within South Africa] to protect them." Currently Internet gambling is prohibited in SA, and in terms of the National Gambling Act of 2004, offenders face fines of up to 10-million rand (US$1.26 million) and or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years. (E-03.17.08)

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