South African opposition proposes online gambling legislation

The Democratic Alliance is proposing a law to regulate online gambling.

South Africa.- The opposition Democratic Alliance has announced that it will propose legislation to regulate online gambling in South Africa. It follows a long period after initial attempts to regulate the sector over a decade ago.

South African law currently allows online gambling through licences issued by provincial authorities, but the situation is ambiguous because there is no legislative framework because the 2008 National Amendment Act never came into effect. The Democratic Alliance’s new bill now aims to introduce many of the aims of the 2008 act.

The party said its bill would regulate licensing, which would continue to be carried out by provincial authorities. It would provide for procedures for objections to licence decisions and would also regulate gambling advertising, possibly introducing restrictions. The bill would also seek to protect minors and vulnerable people and ensure compliance with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA).

The party said in a statement: ‘Online gambling is currently not regulated in South Africa. By not regulating this gambling activity, the erosion of the rule of law and criminal activity is being encouraged, while the public is not effectively protected.”

Stakeholders will be able to submit views on the bill to the speaker of the National Assembly.

Earlier this week, the auditor general’s report on South Africa’s National Lotteries Commission for the 2020/21 financial year flagged up more than R23m in irregular expenditure, leading to a qualified audit opinion about the accuracy of financial statements.

Metropolitan Gaming sells South African casino

Metropolitan Gaming has reached an agreement to sell its South African casino to a consortium controlled by Tsogo Sun. The operator bought the Emerald Resort and Casino in Vanderbijlpark from Caesars Entertainment in August 2021 along with ten venues in the UK and Egypt.

The company said it was focusing on investing and developing in its core markets of the UK and Egypt. After buying 11 casinos from Caesars in 2021, the company added London’s Park Lane Club, now the Metropolitan Park Lane, to its portfolio this June. The company said it intends to continue to expand through acquisitions and investment.

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