Western Cape Finance Minister outlines province’s gambling sector growth at SiGMA Africa
Baartman said South Africa’s gambling market recorded about R1.5trn (€79.2bn) in turnover in the 2024/25 financial year, fuelled mainly by online betting and digital platforms.
South Africa.- The Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB) generated R1.7bn (€89.8m) in gambling tax revenue in 2025, up from R51m (€2.7m) ten years earlier, driven by increased licensing and annual sector growth of more than 16 per cent.
The figures were disclosed by the province’s Minister of Finance, Deidré Baartman, at the SiGMA Africa Summit in Cape Town on March 4, while highlighting how the expansion of South Africa’s gambling industry is reshaping the province’s digital economy.
Addressing stakeholders from across the industry, Baartman said South Africa’s gambling market recorded about R1.5trn (€79.2bn) in turnover in the 2024/25 financial year, fuelled mainly by online betting and digital platforms. She said technologies such as esports wagering, fintech-based payments and compliance systems are transforming the sector and changing how gambling services operate across borders.
However, Baartman noted that the rapid expansion of South Africa’s gambling sector underscores the need for stronger regulatory oversight and robust compliance frameworks. She said the Western Cape government will invest more than R25m (€1.3m) over the next three financial years to strengthen the regulatory capacity of the WCGRB.
She added that the regulator is modernising its oversight tools, including improving internal ICT systems and exploring the use of artificial intelligence to monitor compliance and detect irregularities more quickly.
While acknowledging the benefits of gambling tax revenue for provincial services, the Minister stressed that responsible gambling initiatives must grow alongside the market to minimise social harm. She stated that the Western Cape government and the gambling regulator are expanding outreach programmes, including early-intervention campaigns in schools and public awareness initiatives designed to address gambling risks.
Baartman further warned that illegal gambling operations, payment fraud and misuse of digital platforms remain ongoing challenges for regulators and industry stakeholders.
She concluded by emphasising that collaboration between government, regulators and industry players is essential to ensure the sustainable growth of the gambling sector, protect consumers and maintain the integrity of the province’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
