Gambling News by House of Odds

Operators offering online gambling and those who indulge in it face fines of
up to R10 million and/or 10 years in prison following a landmark ruling in
the Pretoria High Court. At present the court ruling was applicable only to
"casino-style gambling", said Gauteng Gambling Board legal manager Edward
Lalumbe. "We have not ruled out the possibility of going after other
operators, including those offering access to Lotto in other countries."
South Africa does not issue licences for online casinos, and it was this
that finally brought the provincial gambling authority along with the
National Gambling Board and the Minister of Trade and Industry to court. It
was maintained that Swaziland-registered Piggs Peak Casino could not offer
online gambling to punters in SA. This is because SA does not have the
necessary legislation to issue online gambling licences. "A gambling
operator offering online gambling needs to have a licence issued for this
purpose in SA, and even though the owners of the Swaziland casino have an
Internet licence, it is valid only for that country." The court's decision
confirms that Internet operators offering online gambling to South Africans,
and players/punters taking part, are doing so illegally. Internet service
providers, financial service providers, TV stations and the print media were
named in court as facilitating online gambling, also deemed illegal by the
decision. "Our overall motivation for taking the matter to court was it was
facilitating illegal activity," Lalumbe said, adding law-enforcement
agencies including the Asset Forfeiture Unit and financial institutions had
been consulted prior to the decision to go to court.