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International internet gambling law is a subject of immense complexity, because every nation has its own
take on the subject. Some parts of the world embrace online gambling while others do everything they
can to ban it entirely. On top of that, different jurisdictions within a single nation sometimes take radically
different approaches to internet gaming.

The United States is a great example of how complex gambling law can be within a single nation. Not only
are the federal laws poorly written and difficult to interpret, but individual states have their own laws as
well. In some states, online gambling is 100% legal and available to anyone inside state lines. In others, the
authorities are still trying to seize the assets of legitimate gambling sites.

Our goal with this part of our website is to take this massive subject and break it down for our readers.
We start this page by explaining some of the basics of online gambling legislation and regulation, which are useful to understand if you’re interested in
betting or gaming online. There is then some information on the gambling laws in various regions around the world. We’ve also included links to additional
pages where you can learn more about the legal status of both offline and online gambling in specific countries.

This page is divided into the following sections, to make it easy to find the specific region you may be looking for.

Online Gambling Legislation and Regulation: The Basics

The most important thing for you to understand about online gambling legislation and regulation is how it affects you. There are two key points to consider
in this respect.

1. It is rare for it to be explicitly illegal to USE an online gambling site
2. Licensed and regulated gambling sites are BY FAR the safest

The first point here is hopefully one that will put your mind at rest if you are worried about the legalities of gambling online, and the potential for
repercussions. The fact is that you are very unlikely to breaking the law simply by betting or gaming online. The vast majority of online gambling legislation
is target squarely at the companies that operate sites, and not the individuals who use them. Of course, laws do vary from one region to the next as we’ve
explained. It’s important to know your local laws do prohibit you from gambling online, which is precisely we’ve provided the relevant much information in
this section

In relation to the second point, most sites are licensed and regulated in at least one jurisdiction. To obtain the necessary license, they will have to meet
specific criteria as laid out by the licensing authority within the relevant jurisdiction. Operators will generally advertise details of their licensing, as it helps
to reassure potential customers that are legal and regulated. It basically lends some legitimacy to their operations. That’s what you’ll often see something
like the following on gambling websites.

You should know, however, that the actual legitimacy of licensing authorities varies quite significantly. The simple fact of the matter is some agencies are
much more stringent than others. For example, the state of Nevada puts any potential online poker site through the wringer before it issues a license to
operate. So a Nevada license has genuine sign validity. Other gambling authorities basically sell licenses to anyone with enough money, so these don’t
really mean much at all.

With that in mind, we decided to put together a comprehensive guide to licensing authorities around the world. We want you to know what it really means
when a site says it has a license to do business. You can use this information to assist in the search for a safe gambling site.

You should also understand why online gambling regulation is so important. Its primary purpose is to protect YOU, the consumers. You should be able to
gamble online with the confidence that you will be treated fairly not be exposed to dishonest or crooked practices. Thankfully, the established and
reputable licensing authorities ensure that you can do exactly that. They impose a strict code of conduct on the licensees, who have to adhere to the
necessary regulations if they are to maintain their licenses. That’s why properly licensed and regulated sites are the safest options.

For a more in-depth explanation of this subject, please see our page on how online gambling is regulated

Gambling Laws in North America

There are several countries in North America that have wildly different laws relating to gambling.
The United States is obviously the biggest country in this region, and as we’ve already mentioned
the laws here are very confusing. This is partly down to the fact that there are so many states,
each with their own attitude to gambling, but there is more to it than that. There is just a distinct
lack of clarity in so much of the relevant legislation. There is also much debate about whether
US laws actually apply to gambling sites that operate outside the region.

Things are not much better in Canada either. There is legislation in place that has been passed by
central government, but each individual province has the authority to regulate gambling in their
own regions. As with the US, the use of overseas sites is very much a grey area.

We’ve provided additional pages that explain the relevant legal situations in these two countries in much
more detail, and we’ve also covered some other countries in North America too.

Gambling Laws in Europe and the UK

Europe also has many countries with different approaches to the legality of online gambling.
Some countries outright ban it, while others have formally legalized it and put proper regulatory
frameworks in place. The United Kingdom is the best example of the latter. All forms of online
betting and gaming are completely legal, and very well regulated. Any site wishing to provide its
services to UK residents must meet requirements set out by the Gambling Commission. This
organization was established in 2005, replacing the existing Gaming Board.

There are other European countries with similar setups to the UK too. France, for example, has a
strict licensing process, but does allow overseas companies to accept French customers if they
meet the necessary criteria. For some reason, though, all forms of casino games are currently
banned. They at least have clear laws though, whereas things are decidedly murky in other countries.

We’ve provide a detailed overview of European gambling laws, and also information on the laws in each of the following specific countries.

Gambling Laws in Australia/Oceania

The laws for Australian gambling companies are very strict. They’re allowed to offer some gambling
services to Australian residents, but currently only traditional sports betting and lottery-style
games are permitted. Live sports betting is not allowed, and nor are casino games. There are no
laws that prevent Australians from using overseas sites though, as these fall outside the jurisdiction
of Australia’s government.

In New Zealand, unlike so many other regions, there is clear and precise legislation relating to
online gambling. The country passed a new act in 2003 to make sure that their laws were explicit and
easy to understand. Unusually, the act very plainly stated that the use of overseas sites is entirely
legal. Such sites are, however, banned from advertising in New Zealand.

You can read more about the country specific laws in this part of the world on the following pages.

Gambling Laws in Asia

There is very little consistency in the gambling laws throughout Asia. This is perhaps
not surprising, given the size of the continent and the number of different countries
it’s home to. Compiling an overview of Asian gambling laws would be a futile
exercise, but we have provided pages covering each of the following countries
separately.

Gambling Laws in South America

The general approach to gambling throughout South America is reasonably liberal.
There are restrictions on certain types of betting and gaming in some countries in the
region though. For example, casino games are prohibited in Brazil. Our guide to the
gambling laws in South America explains about these restrictions in more detail, and
also covers any relevant online gambling legislation.

Gambling Laws in Africa

Few countries in Africa have passed any kind of legislation relating on online gambling,
although South Africa is one notable exception. Land based gambling is another
matter though, with various forms fully legalized throughout the region. There are
casino venues, for example, in several countries. We’ve provided details on the various
gambling laws throughout Africa on the following page.

We recommend that you have at least passing familiarity with the legal climate with regards to gambling in
your location. A working knowledge of the law in your area may help to keep you safe from any legal trouble,
and will make it easier for you to find the sites that cater for customers in your part of the world.

Please be aware, though, that nothing contained in this part of GamblingSites.org should be considered as
actual legal advice. We’ve carried out extensive research and consulted experts when compiling all of
this information, but we are not qualified to provide legal advice. If you have any concerns about the
legalities of gambling online where you live, it would be best to speak to a licensed lawyer.

Gambling in South Africa has been heavily restricted since 1673, with South Africa's Gambling Act of 1965 officially banning all forms of gambling except betting on horse racing which existed as a sporting activity.

In the late 1970s casinos started operating in the bantustans (the nominally independent areas called homelands) of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei and Venda. Only native South Africans lived there and most citizens couldn't access those gaming establishments. By 1995 an estimated 2000 illegal casinos were believed to be operating within the country. In 1994, when the new democratic government came to power, all forms of gambling were legalised. In 1996 the National Gambling Act instituted a system of licensed casinos and a single national lottery. Horse racing was also proclaimed gambling activity.^[1]

The National Gambling Act of 1996 made provisions for the regulation of gambling activities and promotion of uniform norms and standards in relation to gambling throughout the country. It gave definitions to different gambling notions, described how the 40 gambling licenses should be distributed among the provinces and provided information on liability. It also established the National Gambling Board, an organisation responsible for the supervision and regulation of the gambling industry. This change in legislation saw the establishment of legal casinos, a national lottery and other forms of gaming.^[2]

In 2004, another National Gambling Act repealed the Act of 1996. And in 2008 The National Gambling Amendment Act was introduced.

• 2Types of gambling
• 3Online gambling

Prevalence and value[edit]

Online Gambling South Africa Legislation Today

According to the 2006 study the most popular forms of gambling in South Africa were the National Lottery (96.9% participation), slot machines (27.7% participation), scratchcards (22.7% participation), charity jackpot competitions (11.6% participation) and horse racing betting (11.5% participation). 8.3% of respondents said they have never gambled and a further 5.5% characterised themselves as occasional game players with no regular forms of gambling.^[3]

In the 2006/2007 financial year licensed gross gambling revenue as monitored by the National Gambling Board totalled R13.52 billion, from R11.4 billion the previous year. 86.2 percent of that revenue was derived in casinos.^[4] In the same period the Board reported a total of 455 raids on and closures of presumed illegal gambling operations.^[5]

South Africa’s gambling revenues are projected to rise to R30 billion in 2019, according to a new report. The South African gambling industry – including casinos, sports betting, the National Lottery, limited payout machines and bingo – achieved gross gambling revenue of R26.3bn in 2016.

Types of gambling[edit]

Online Gambling South Africa Legislation 2017

South African National Lottery[edit]

The South African National Lottery was established in 2000 and has been in continuous operation since, apart from a suspension between April 2007 and October 2007. In its last year of operation transaction values totalled R3.972 billion, with an average of five million transactions per week, making it the most popular form of gambling in South Africa. South Africa known as one of the largest countries participate in UK49s lottery draw operated by Ladbrokes Coral.

Gambling revenue from the National Lottery is projected to increase to R2.33 billion in 2019.^[6]

Casinos[edit]

Casinos operate in all metropolitan areas in South Africa. With the largest being the Rio Casino Resort, which is also the largest casino in Africa and the fifth-largest casino in the world.^{[citation needed]} Tsogo Sun Montecasino, also located in Johannesburg, is another of South Africa's largest casinos.

Horse racing[edit]

On-track betting on horse races was the only legal form of gambling in South African until 1996. Due to its complexity and the difficulty of attracting new players it did not effectively compete with the newly introduced National Lottery and casino games.^[7]

Betting on horse races is controlled by Saftote and operated by Gold Circle in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape and by Phumelela in the remainder of the country.^[8]

Online gambling[edit]

Licensed gambling sites[edit]

Each of South Africa's nine provinces has a gambling and racing board. To offer online betting bookies must be licensed by one of these boards. Currently the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB) is largest provider of online bookmaker licenses.^[9] South Africa residents can use these online betting sites legally. For bets involving horse racing 6% is deducted from winning to cover VAT. As of May 2012, no additional tax is charged to recreational bettors, and recreational gambling winnings are not considered income for income tax purposes.^[10]

Online Gambling South Africa Legislation Act

Online gaming laws[edit]

The National Gambling Act 2004 prohibited both offering interactive gambling services and engaging in interactive games (games on the Internet).^[11] This rule applies to all online operators, licensed in any jurisdiction. It's however important to note interactive gambling relates specifically to games such as casino, poker and bingo. Online sports betting, online horse race betting and the business of bookmaking is lawful in South Africa, provided that the person conducting such business holds the necessary provincial bookmaker's licence(s), or is using a website with proper licence(s).

The National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008 that was published in July 2008 was meant to be an attempt to legalise interactive gambling in the country and make provisions for the regulation of this market. The Amendment Act was actively confronted by the interested parties (land-based gambling houses and anti-money laundering authorities). For this reason, the Act hasn't come into power yet.

On 20 August 2010 even online gambling offered through servers located outside the country was banned in South Africa. This was the result of the North Gauteng High Court judgement on the jurisdiction of online gambling transactions in the country. Consequently, both offering gambling services online and gambling online became illegal. The only exceptions are province licensed horse racing and online sports betting. Casino sites, individuals, internet service providers and banks that process payments for online gamblers are subject to a fine of R 10 million or 10 years of imprisonment, or both. Mass media channels that transmit or facilitate advertisement of online gambling services (TV and radio, newspapers and magazines, outdoor advertising agencies) are also to be held liable.^[12]

The South African Department of Trade and Industry also suggested to consider penny auctions a type of online gambling and illegalise them. The National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008 may come into force after an appeal to a high court ruling against 'interactive gambling' is heard.^[13]

References[edit]

1. ^Stephen P. Rule; Terezinha Da Silva; Chris Sibanyoni (2000). The Social Impact of Gambling in South Africa. HSRC Press. p. 8. ISBN0-7969-1971-2.
2. ^National Gambling Act, 1996 [No. 33 of 1996] – G 17307
3. ^'Problem Gambling Prevalence Study 2006'(PDF). National Responsible Gambling Programme. Archived from the original(PDF) on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
4. ^'National gambling statistics for the financial year ending 31 March 2007'. National Gambling Board. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
5. ^'Illegal Gambling statistics for the financial year ending 31 March 2006'. National Gambling Board. Archived from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
6. ^'How much is the South African gambling market worth?'. www.bettinggods.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
7. ^'Speech by Thibedi Majake (CEO of the National Gambling Board) at the 2006 national convention of Racing South Africa'. Racing South Africa. Retrieved 22 September 2008.^{[dead link]}
8. ^'Sport: Horse racing in South Africa'. SouthAfrica.info. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
9. ^WCGRB Licensed Betting Sites
10. ^Legal South Africa Betting Sites
11. ^'Online Gambling Remains Unlawful in South Africa'. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
12. ^Online Gambling Banned in Africa
13. ^Online Gambling in SA: Is It Legal?

External links[edit]