Online gambling in South Africa
The South African government only recently introduced legislation paving the way for legalized online gambling in South Africa. The National Gambling Amendment Act No 10 of 2008 was assented to by the President on 14 July 2008 and the National Gambling Board (at the time of writing) was undertaking the task of putting associated regulations in place. In August 2009 an NGB delegation went to the established licensing jurisdiction of Antigua Barbuda to be schooled on a number of facets of online gambling regulation by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) with a view to adopting a similar framework.
Then NGB CEO Mmathebe Thebi Moja said in a press release regarding the fact finding mission, “The NGB has chosen to understudy their (FSRB) detailed policy and regulatory framework before implementation of our legislation that seeks to legalise and regulate online gambling.”
As at the end of 2009, South African online gambling licenses had been awarded to only a handful of operators. One of the most recent to gain a license (as at December 2009) was Betvictor, who wasted no time in setting up offices in Cape Town and launching a dedicated world cup website with full game schedule, news and odds. South Africans are also welcome in their live casino.
[Update August 2010] The Johannesburg High Court ruled that unlicensed foreign online gambling operators are prohibited from accepting bets from South African residents. Further, media houses and advertising agencies were banned from advertising such operations with penalties applying for failure to comply. The NGB also requested the Reserve Bank to instruct banks to block credit card payments.
[Update 2013] The NGB’s hardline stance against unlicensed online gambling is highlighted in the case of a gambler from Johannesburg who challenged his winnings at an unlicensed (in South Africa) betting site being confiscated and placed in a Treasury trust account, which as at April 2013 contained R3.5 million forfeited by illegal online gamblers. NGB Chief Baby Tyawa was quoted as saying,
“Any form of unlicensed online gambling in South Africa is expressly prohibited and is a criminal offence. Those found to be contravening the act face imprisonment or a hefty fine.”
Best live casino for South African players
The below casinos all offer live dealer casino games and South African Rand (ZAR) banking options.
 Casinos |
 Player access |
 Banking |
 Toll free support |
 Local language |
 Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Read review | Visit |
No restrictions | No deposit restrictions Can maintain account in rand (ZAR) |
NO | YES | Asian based dealer room with Euro centric games and Asian favorite variations |
 Read review | Visit |
No restrictions | No deposit restrictions Maintain account in USD |
Yes | Yes | European based dealer room with Euro centric games dedicated live room |
