South African Online Gambling Legislation Talks Stalled

April 4 - Last week, gambling reformists were still confident that the process pertaining to the legalization of internet gambling in South Africa would go relatively smoothly. With obvious overwhelming public support and a liberal government, it didn't seem that anything could stand in the way of new South African online gambling laws.

However, when the proposal reached the country's National Assembly this week, things started turning sour. Opponents to the law started wrangling over potential advertising issues if and when the new legislation came into affect. This quickly turned into a general argument regarding casino advertising across the board - an issue that has taken the matter several steps backwards.

The optimistic forecasts that South African online gambling would be legalized in a short space of time were quickly dashed this week and it is unsure when the issue will be resolved. While the National Assembly members are forging on ahead in the search for solutions that will suit everyone, it cannot be predicted that the process will be a simple one.

The current law, known as the National Gambling Act, Act 7 of 2004, specifically outlaws online gambling in the country, forbidding South Africans from playing casino games or betting online. This is also applicable when the online site's operator is located outside the borders of the country. If gamblers are caught, they could face stiff fines or time in prison.

Themba Marasha, the chief operations officer for the National Gambling Board, said a while back that new South African online gambling legislation would call for sites to be licensed and regulated. At the time, he said that to receive a license under potentially new legislation, operators would simply need to meet the requirements of national technical standards.

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