South Africa to revive National Gambling Policy Council
The body will aim to clamp down on illegal gambling advertising.
South Africa.- Mpho Franklyn Parks Tau, the minister of trade, industry and competition, has ordered his department to convene the long-dormant National Gambling Policy Council. The body, which was placed under administration in 2014, will aim to clamp down on illegal online gambling ads amid rising concerns about uncontrolled marketing.
As reported on our new site Focus Gaming News Africa, the process to appoint new members and a CEO is underway. Tau cited a study conducted by the National Gambling Board (NGB) that found largescale use of gambling advertising that breached legislation.
The National Gambling Act prohibits the placing of advertisements in media mainly aimed at under 18s. Tau singled out the use of social media platforms like YouTube and raised concerns about ads reaching children and lacking any safer gambling messaging. The move suggests that operators should refocus advertising on media not aimed at minors.
Speaking to MPs in parliament, he said: “There is an issue of sponsorship of family-friendly programmes, where major bookkeepers sponsor them. This results in the increase of visibility and frequency of gambling content during shows mostly viewed by minors.”
He added: “There is an intention to ensure that we can regulate online gambling. It is an environment where different provinces have different approaches, with some being more relaxed. We also want to ensure that there is rehabilitation of addicts.”
The NGB says that wagers in South Africa reached R1.1trn (€53.6bn) in 2024 but that much was outside of the regulated system. The tax take from regulated gambling was only R4.8bn.
Meanwhile, South Africa is due to announce this month the results of its national lottery tender. Ithuba’s current licence expires on May 31, leaving a possibility that ticket sales could be interrupted.
It was reported that Parks Tau had issued a closed request for proposals (RFP) for a temporary one-year licence, but the chair of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) and its acting chief operating officer denied that an RFP has been issued.
Tau previously said the bid period would be extended because additional evaluation was needed to ensure a fair process and to check that the successful applicant met legal and ethical requirements.
NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz told the committee that the NLC had contingency plans to use its reserves of R4.3bn to continue issuing grants to good causes and to cover its own costs if ticket sales are halted.
