SABA Presses South Africa to Tackle Illegal Gambling
SABA urges swift enforcement against illegal offshore gambling operators, proposing a six-point strategy to strengthen regulation and protect consumers.Summary
South Africa’s largest bookmaker trade association, the South African Bookmakers Association (SABA), has renewed its call for stronger enforcement measures against illegal offshore gambling operators, arguing that existing laws have failed to keep pace with the expansion of the unregulated market. SABA’s latest comments come amid ongoing debate around proposals to block access to illegal gambling websites and recent efforts by the National Gambling Board (NGB) to strengthen enforcement. According to NGB figures, illegal gambling platforms generated R5 trillion in 2025, about 3.75% of the R75 trillion generated by South Africa’s regulated gambling sector. SABA maintains that the growth of unlicensed operators creates additional risks for consumers because such platforms operate outside South Africa’s regulatory framework and lack established player protection mechanisms. To address the widening enforcement gap, SABA has proposed a six-point national strategy that it wants adopted by authorities and regulators, including clearer legal definitions, expanded website-blocking powers, disruption of payment systems, legal action against facilitators, scrutiny of influencers and promoters, and a centralized enforcement structure supported by multiple government agencies. SABA’s CEO Sean Coleman highlighted that South Africa’s current framework is ‘prohibition without enforcement’ and called for a broader enforcement model combining payment disruption, advertising restrictions, consumer awareness campaigns, intelligence-led investigations and cross-jurisdictional cooperation. The association also cited international examples from Australia and the United Kingdom to illustrate effective regulatory approaches and urged greater coordination across South Africa’s nine provincial gambling jurisdictions.
(Source：World Casino News)