Casino News

South Africa set to legalise online gambling

2006-12-22 15:41:02

A draft bill laying the foundations for the legalisation of online gambling in South Africa has been approved by the country's cabinet, it has been revealed.

The move comes as the latest in a long line of new regulatory approaches to the internet phenomenon, with most countries seemingly now accepting of the fact that online gaming is here to stay.

The bill, which has nonetheless attracted criticism due to provincial governments' perception that the government has been slow to act on the issue, aims to issue licenses for players and operators, in order to ensure the provision of tax revenue for local and regional authorities alike.

Such moves would represent an about-face similar to that performed in Italy in recent weeks. Only two years ago the National Gambling Act of 2004 banned online gambling pending further investigation into the issue.

But having now viewed other countries' approaches to the issues, including those of the UK and US, South African authorities appear to have favoured the former's less prohibitive methods.


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