Two people have been convicted in Limpopo for illegal gambling after a March raid that resulted in the arrest of five people and the South African Police Service (SAPS) confiscating 17 computers.
The prosecution comes as regulators intensify efforts to combat illegal online gambling, seizing computers used in illicit operations and working with companies such as Google Africa to remove websites that continue to siphon billions from South Africa’s regulated gambling industry.
The Hoedspruit Magistrate’s Court handed the two individuals six months’ imprisonment or a fine of R2 000 for illegal gambling offences. They were also ordered to serve seven months without the option of a fine for contravening the Immigration Act and will be deported to their “country of origin upon completion of their sentences,” the National Gambling Board (NGB) says.
NGB acting CEO Lungile Dukwana says: “This successful prosecution sends a clear message that illegal gambling activities will not be tolerated… Continued collaboration among regulatory and law enforcement agencies remains essential to safeguarding the integrity of the gambling industry and protecting the public.”
Raided but not beaten
Investigations regarding the ownership and operation of the illegal gambling site are ongoing, the NGB says. It warns that illegal gambling operations expose consumers to significant financial and legal risks, facilitate criminal activity and deprive the state of lawful revenue.
“This case serves as an important reminder that patrons who knowingly gamble at illegal establishments may face legal consequences,” the NGB says. It notes that punters at illegal operations might not receive their winnings and have no consumer protection.
The latest publicly available annual report from the Limpopo Gambling Board, for the 2023/24 financial year, shows that 134 illegal gambling operators were arrested, 616 illegal gambling machines destroyed, and 329 computers used in illegal online gambling operations confiscated.
More recently, the Limpopo provincial government, as of the end of April, 135 illegal gambling machines were confiscated by SAPS, although “illegal online gambling is still a challenge in the province”.
According to an NGB presentation to Parliament, 30 illegal gambling cases were registered with SAPS during the 2024/25 financial year across Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. By the time the presentation was compiled, 60% had been closed, while the remaining 12 were “to be confirmed”.
Whack-a-mole
In a written parliamentary reply, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition says the NGB is making progress against illegal land-based gambling through coordinated raids with provincial regulators and law enforcement agencies. High Court orders resulted in around R3.075 million in proceeds from unlawful gambling being forfeited to the state between April 2025 and April 2026.
However, it acknowledges that prosecuting illegal online gambling remains difficult because websites taken down often reappear under new addresses. The NGB says it is working with Google Africa, foreign regulators, banks, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa to curb illegal online gambling.
“When websites are identified, they are shared with Google Africa for possible takedown. This is a temporary measure as the websites are swiftly reinstated through another link. But the NGB will continuously monitor this to ensure each time another link is created, they are reported to Google Africa,” the NGB says in a recent parliamentary reply.
In its latest annual report for 2024/25, the NGB says illegal online and unregulated gambling is rising, increasing the need for stronger enforcement. The NGB says it conducted raids, made arrests and issued legal notices to close illegal gambling sites throughout the year.
Billions bleeding offshore
More than R50 billion – two-thirds of South Africa’s R74.5 billion annual gross gambling revenue – is being siphoned by illegal offshore online operators based in jurisdictions such as Curaçao, Malta, Gibraltar and the Philippines, according to the South African Bookmakers Association (SABA). An estimated 16 million South Africans have engaged with illegal platforms in the past year, it says.
National Treasury’s discussion paper on a proposed national gambling tax puts total gross gambling revenue at R74.5 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, a 25.6% increase from the previous year.
Much of this has shifted online with the South African Reserve Bank’s Quarterly Bulletin saying the post-COVID-19 surge in online activity, as lockdowns closed physical casinos, drove online betting from 80.7% of total betting revenue in 2023/24, to 85.5% in 2024/25.
“The majority of online gambling activity in South Africa is still taking place outside the regulated system. That means millions of consumers are exposed to operators who pay no local taxes, provide no consumer protection, and operate entirely outside of South African law,” says SABA CEO Sean Coleman.
SABA’s research lists 49 unlicensed websites offering online gambling to South Africans, including 1xBet.com, 22BetCasino and 888 Casino.
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