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South Africa steps back in time with online casino ban

In a move which blatantly only serves to protect the incumbent land-based operators rather than act as social policy, the Gauteng Gambling Board has banned all online gambling (defined as casino operations) throughout South Africa.

Note the name of the spokeperson quoted below....


Online gambling banned in South Africa



It is now illegal to gamble using digital products in South Africa, the Gauteng Gambling Board said after a Friday court ruling.

The judgement on the jurisdiction of online gambling transactions in the country was handed down by the North Gauteng High Court on August 20.

This means that online gambling operators in South Africa and players will be in contravention of the law, and according to Business Day, could face a fine of R10-million or 10 years in jail, or both.

According to the Gauteng Gambling Board's head of legal services, Lucky Lukhwareni, online casinos are now liable for prosecution.

How could anyone take a person named Lucky seriously, especially if they worked in gambling regulation??

Other reports (EGR) have stated that the ban refers to all forms of online gambling, but that would be even more ridiculous considering the sports betting licences they have awarded lately. Bans for online casinos had been rumoured earlier in the year so this comes as no great surprise.

Does it protect local residents? Not at all, it's not exactly difficult to find an online casino wherever you are in the world, although transferring South African rand outside of the country is often complicated. 
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Comments

  1. Rod Hull27 August 2010 at 07:48

    Hi Scott,

    Decent blog you have here mate, would you like to swap links?

    http://rodhulltennis.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Scott27 August 2010 at 09:51

    Hi Rod,
    It's already up there, has been for months :)

    Cheers
    Scott

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rod Hull27 August 2010 at 14:09

    Ha ha, thanks mate. I should have looked really. I just thought because I had just found yours you wouldn't have had mine!

    I'll add yours now.

    Cheers
    Rod

    ReplyDelete

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