In a parliamentary letter to Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau<\/strong>, Gana highlighted that South Africa now has more than 400 registered bookmakers<\/strong>, outpacing several international markets. He argues that this figure is approximately twice that of Australia<\/strong>, more than five times the number in Brazil<\/strong> and about 15 times higher than that of Denmark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gana also cited historical data to show how quickly the sector has expanded. The letter states that the number of licensed bookmakers rose from 288 in 2020 to 402 in 2025,<\/strong> representing growth of about 40 per cent. He noted that this rate of expansion has eclipsed other segments of the gambling industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gana warned that the scale of this growth poses challenges for regulatory oversight and capacity. With more than 400 operators in the market, he indicated that monitoring compliance, enforcing licensing conditions and ensuring responsible gambling practices have become increasingly complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The letter also pointed to the broader implications of this expansion, including increased community exposure to betting and the growing presence of online gambling platforms. Gana suggested that existing regulatory tools may not be fully equipped to manage the speed and magnitude of these changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He proposed an immediate suspension of new bookmaker licences, the establishment of a national licensing framework for online operators and a reassessment of existing regulations to bring South Africa in line with global best practice. According to him, the pursuit of profit should not come at the expense of protecting the South African public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gana has consistently advocated for stronger oversight and stricter compliance frameworks in the South African gambling sector. During a radio interview in February<\/strong>, he voiced his support<\/a> for the Treasury\u2019s 20 per cent national tax<\/strong> on online betting, urging the finance minister to include the measure in the budget review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The letter has since received a response from the Ministry<\/a>, detailing the number of gambling licences South Africa issues annually.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/04\/pennsylvania-regulator-to-allow-new-casino-licenses-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\n