GAMING FOR AFRICA
South African gambling authorities seize illegal online winnings
I
n its ongoing efforts to eradicate illegal gambling, the South African Trade and Industry Department revealed that it has confiscated around R1.25 million (approximately $100,000) in illegal online gambling winnings. Although numerous attempts have been made
over the years to propose a legalised framework for online gambling in the country, at present online gambling in South Africa is illegal following a landmark case in which an online casino operator in neighbouring Swaziland lost a court case over the exact definition of online gambling. South African authorities’ contention that the actual act of gambling took place on the device of the player or their computer, and not at the server of the online operator (even if it was located outside the borders of South Africa) was upheld by the courts. Gambling services in the country must be
provided in full compliance with the National Gambling Act of 2004. Under the law, online gambling is illegal in South Africa and winnings obtained through iGaming must be forfeited to the state. The gambling industry in the country is regulated and monitored by the National Gambling Board, which means that the regulatory body is also responsible to guard against any criminal activities, sanction such activities in a proper manner, and report them to other competent bodies. As announced by the Trade and Industry
Department, the High Court of South Africa has ruled that several individuals forfeit their online gambling winnings of around R1.25 million, as these had been obtained unlawfully. The Department further pointed out in a Saturday statement that the case was unprecedented for the country. South African officials have repeatedly voiced
concerns that online gambling may be used to mask money laundering and other illicit transactions. To prevent this from happening, the
National Gambling Board has been working closely with local banks, with the latter helping the regulator and law enforcement confiscate illegal online gambling winnings. The Trade and Industry Department noted in its
Saturday statement that people who gamble online would not only have their winnings confiscated, but would also face prosecution. People who provide illegal gambling services, including iGaming, are also liable to prosecution.
It has become a common practice for so-called
Internet cafes, or at least some of the facilities in question, to attract customers by offering them the opportunity to gamble online. Such operations are liable to criminal charges and to penalties of up to R10 million.
Commenting on the High Court’s ruling, National Gambling Board Accounting Officer Caroline Kongwa told media that they are encouraged by the fact that
the South African judicial system is considering the matter and is clearly taking it seriously. Ms. Kongwa also appealed for South African citizens to avoid any illegal gambling services and to report the conduction of such services as well as any attempts for their advertising. Bingo halls, LPMs (or Limited Payout Machines
as AWP slots are known in South Africa), brick-and- mortar casinos, and racing and betting are the only legal gambling options under the South African Gambling Act. In terms of Internet gambling, South Africans are only allowed to place sports bets on desktop or mobile.
Although more and more countries in Africa as
well as the rest of the world have been taking measures to legalizing online gambling, South Africa has, in fact, tightened its policies against the provision of this type of services with the introduction of the National Gambling Policy 2016.
SureBet247 rolls out Betradar Virtuals across thousands of shops in Nigeria
O
ne of the leading operators offering sports betting in Nigeria, Surebet247, has decided to use Betradar’s suite of virtual
gaming products to increase footfall across its retail stores. Surebet247 operates from over 4,000 retail stores across Nigeria and all will offer Betradar’s Virtual Football products. The bookmaker will also work with Betradar on new initiatives as a follow up to this launch. Sheriff Olaniyan, CEO of Surebet247 stated: “We have been closely monitoring the growing success of virtual sports and have evaluated all the products available to operators in Africa; Betradar has been able to deliver the product to suit the African market based on popular demand.
Betradar has a proven track record of delivering the most compelling product range and the highest income levels and we at Surebet247 are very excited about being able to offer this world leading product to our customers”. Neale Deeley, Managing Director Gaming at Betradar added: ‘’Nigeria remains a critical market for our suite of virtual gaming products and we were delighted Surebet247 wanted our latest version in their 4,000+ retail outlets. They have worked with our guys in a flexible and collaborative spirit to make sure that what is provided to their punters is a really engaging and bespoke product”.
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South African National Gambling Board’s Caroline Kongwa.
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