South Africa Targets Illegal Gambling Sites

South Africa's National Gambling Board (NGB) is increasing its efforts to curb illegal online gambling by pursuing website blocking, working with overseas regulators and strengthening cooperation with local authorities. The regulator outlined the measures during a briefing to Parliament, where officials also highlighted concerns over the rapid growth of offshore gambling platforms targeting South African consumers.

The board estimates that illegal and non-compliant online gambling platforms generated around R5 trillion in turnover, while legal online gambling produced R75 billion in revenue during 2025. Officials also pointed to research by Yazi showing that 57% of 1,028 respondents had reduced spending on essential items to gamble and 29% had borrowed money for gambling.

Regulator Expands Enforcement Measures

Speaking before Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition, acting CEO Lungile Dukwana said the NGB has begun working with regulators in countries where many offshore operators hold licences.

"We are seeing that there are external operators … in our space, and those are not licensed in South Africa, and that creates a challenge of its own because, in that specific instance, they are coming from the online casinos, and they are offered by other countries."

Dukwana identified Gibraltar, the Philippines, the UK as licensing locations linked to platforms serving South African players, while separate information from the NGB also listed Curaçao among the main offshore hubs.

The regulator has contacted authorities in several jurisdictions and issued cease-and-desist letters to operators it believes are serving South African customers unlawfully.

"We have engaged with the UK [and] … with Malta. We still have to have engagement with the Philippines and Gibraltar to ask them to stop their licences from operating in our own space," Dukwana said.

The NGB is working with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, ICASA, the South African Police Service, provincial licensing authorities, Google and Meta. It is also developing a system to block access to illegal gambling websites through IP restrictions.

Online Gambling Rules Remain Under Debate

The regulator reiterated that interactive online gambling remains illegal under South African law, with licensed online sports betting representing the only exception.

"The answer to whether online or interactive gambling is legal in South Africa is a simple and unequivocal no," the NGB stated, citing Section 11 of the National Gambling Act.

The board argues that some casino-style games offered through bookmaker licences fall outside the legal definition of contingency betting because players actively participate in gameplay. Several operators disagree, creating an ongoing dispute over the interpretation of the law.

Advertising And Policy Proposals Receive Attention

The NGB also identified gambling advertising, including influencer promotions, as a factor driving illegal gambling. It has worked with sports regulators, provincial authorities and the Advertising Regulatory Board while preparing advertising standards for the National Gambling Policy Council. Dukwana also confirmed that a report covering online gambling, bet exchanges and historical loss tracing will be submitted to the council.

Source:

“Regulator targets offshore gambling sites draining billions from SA”, businessday.co.za. Jun 24, 2026