NGB defends gambling verification portal amid accuracy concerns
The National Gambling Board says its verified gambling operators portal remains a consumer protection tool, even as it faces scrutiny over how some listings are labelled.
South Africa.- South Africa’s National Gambling Board (NGB) has defended its Verified Gambling Operators web portal after criticism about the accuracy of information displayed on the platform.
In a media response issued on May 11, the regulator said the database was designed to help the public confirm whether gambling operators and premises are licensed under South African law.
The NGB said the database is compiled using information submitted by the country’s nine Provincial Licensing Authorities (PLAs), which are responsible for issuing and managing gambling licences. It said the system is intended to improve transparency, strengthen oversight across provinces and support enforcement against illegal gambling, including offshore online operators.
Responding to concerns over entries marked “CLOSED”, the board said that the label does not automatically indicate unlawful activity. According to the regulator, limited payout machine venues may appear as closed for reasons such as renovations, business interruptions, unpaid fees or disputes between operators and site owners.
The NGB noted that assumptions that these listings prove regulatory failures are unsupported unless there is evidence that gambling activities are continuing illegally at those premises.
The regulator also rejected claims linking the absence of certain online operators on the register to South Africa’s proposed Remote Gambling Bill B11-2024. It reiterated that gambling oversight in the country is still governed by the National Gambling Act of 2004 and provincial gambling laws, as the proposed bill has not been enacted.
According to the board, claims that the register contains no online gambling operators are incorrect, as the database already includes licensed bookmakers authorised to offer online sports betting within existing legal frameworks.
Lungile Dukwana, acting chief executive officer at the NGB, reiterated that “members of the public are encouraged to continue verifying gambling operators through the platform and to report any suspicious or potentially illegal gambling activities to the NGB or the relevant Provincial Licensing Authority. The platform is not intended to promote gambling, but rather to protect consumers from unlicensed and unlawful gambling operations by improving access to regulatory information.”
