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Online Casino Regulation Hearings in South Africa

The National Gambling Amendment Bill (NGA Bill) would allow licensed online casinos and internet gambling companies to operate legally in South Africa under strict regulations. The NGA Bill is not popular across the board though and has come under attack by some prominent South African groups. The bill looks to provide protection for online casino gamblers where there are currently few protections. Because the South African government has no control over the online casinos industry aiming services at South Africans, there is a higher potential for criminal activities and irresponsible gambling activities.

Some online casino companies are following the hearings closely because the South African market has much potential and is largely untapped. The hearings in question are the Department of Trade and Industry portfolio committee hearings. The focus of these hearings this time around are specifically focused on the proposed new legislation to license and regulate internet gambling at provincial level.

The legal counsel for Betfair, Elliott Kernohan, attended the hearings with interest and commented on where he thinks the South African online casino industry is heading. He notes, "I think the DTI and the National Gambling Board have gone to great lengths over the last couple of years to really research the way that gambling has been regulated elsewhere around the world, and they haven't leapt into it.”

Kernohan also comments on the what he believes is most important about the proposed legislation and “the reason why it's so important to South Africa.” He says, “If [South Africa] wants to protect the players, is to ensure that it provides for license providers. And as part of that licensing process, they must ensure that they meet the standards of probity, that all of the necessary empowerment objectives are met."