Gauteng MEC calls for urgent amendment to gambling laws
Lebogang Maile warned that Gauteng is losing ground to provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, which have implemented more effective regulations.
South Africa.- Gauteng is on the cusp of a gambling reform as authorities are gearing up to revamp the province’s gambling laws, with plans to introduce sweeping changes that will modernise regulations and tackle emerging challenges in the industry.
On July 18 2025, Lebogang Maile, Gauteng’s Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance and Economic Development, held a meeting with Gauteng Gambling Board, State Law Advisor, GDED Legal Advisory Services and Cheadle Thompson & Haysom Attorneys to fast-track the process of drafting an amendment to the Gauteng Gambling Act.
The proposed changes will address critical areas like online gambling, licensing and compliance, player protection, enforcement and penalties.
According to Maile, there is a pressing need for reform as the gambling industry has changed dramatically since the Act was passed. He cited the rapid expansion of online gambling, which is not adequately addressed by existing regulations.
Maile warned that Gauteng is losing ground to provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, which have implemented more effective regulations to govern the growing gambling industry. However, he expressed confidence that the current efforts will help Gauteng return to its rightful place in gambling oversight and innovation in South Africa.
A recent SOFTSWISS report on South Africa’s online gaming market revealed that Gauteng made the second largest contribution to the country’s total gross gaming revenue (GGR) in FY2024 at 22.1 per cent, behind the Western Cape, which led with 31.7 per cent.
