Discussion Over the Status of Online Gaming in South Africa Continues

In recent months, the South African Parliament's trade and industry committee has held regular meetings on legalizing online casino games and top rated online casino sites. The latest public hearing was held on March 2 to discuss potential problems like money laundering, underage gambling and illegal gambling operations.

In South Africa online gaming on the best online casino and poker web sites as well as betting on any top online casino sites located out of the country is banned. Recognizing that this ban has created many problems, a gambling review commission recently investigated and recommended that online casino games be regulated and taxed. The country’s trade and industry committee has been tasked with determining if this should go into effect.

Joan Fubbs, Committee Chairman and Democratic Alliance MP Geordin Hill-Lewis both stated that the reality of players seeking top online casinos and no deposit bonus codes in South Africa already exists and pretending that it does not, will let the unregulated market grow exponentially. They believe that banning online casino games and no deposit casinos is impossible and the country is better served in extracting revenue from these dealings.

Pieter Smit of the Financial Intelligence Centre argued against legalization because of the risk of money laundering on online casino game sites. He argued that top rated online casinos could be used to transfer money illegally, which would be nearly impossible to prove. He said that if online casino games sites are legalized then the Financial Intelligence Centre should regulate operators. Smit also suggested that South Africa would need to invest in the proper technologies needed to identify customers and ban unlicensed operators.

The committee is set to meet again in the future to continue the debate.