📜 What Happened to the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa?

South Africa’s gambling laws are stuck in limbo — and at the heart of the issue is the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa. This long-delayed piece of legislation was supposed to bring clarity to online gambling laws, including how casino-style games and offshore platforms should be handled.

But more than a decade later, we’re still waiting.

In this post, we’ll unpack what the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa was supposed to do, why it still hasn’t been implemented, and what that means for players today — especially those who don’t know whether online casino games are legal or not.

⚖️ What the Law Currently Allows (And What It Doesn’t)

Under the National Gambling Act of 2004, the only form of legal online gambling in South Africa is:

✅ Online sports betting — provided the bookmaker holds a valid licence from a provincial gambling board.

❌ Online casino games — such as slots, blackjack, and roulette — remain prohibited under a clause that bans interactive gambling, defined as:

“Any gambling game accessed through an electronic agent over the Internet.”

That’s where the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa comes in — or rather, where it fails to come in.

🧠 What the National Gambling Amendment Bill Was Meant to Do

The original National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa was passed by Parliament in 2008 and was intended to:

Regulate interactive gambling, including online casinos
Protect players from fraud and exploitation
Create a licensing process for digital casino operators
Prevent underage and problem gambling through digital controls

But it was never signed into law by the President. It sat idle until 2018, when it was reintroduced. Then again in 2024, just before the national election.

And once again — nothing happened.

🏛️ Why the Bill Keeps Getting Pulled

In May 2024, Parliament’s Chief Whip withdrew the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa, citing a lack of consensus on its direction.

Some lawmakers want tighter restrictions. Others, like members of the DA, argue that leaving online gambling unregulated is worse — enabling criminal operators, confusing players, and allowing illegal advertising.

The lack of progress has caused ongoing uncertainty for both the public and the industry.

💬 What Regulators and Experts Are Saying

Sibongile Simelane, Executive Director of the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, told 702:

“If you gamble online in South Africa, and you happen to win, you forfeit your winnings.”

She stressed that many South Africans don’t understand the difference between legal online betting (like sports) and illegal online casino play — largely because the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa has never clarified it.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Parks Tau has acknowledged the explosion of illegal offshore gambling, noting:

“There is a growing challenge of online gambling in South Africa.”

💰 How Big Is the Market?

The National Gambling Board’s latest report shows that South Africans wagered R1.14 trillion in the 2023/24 financial year — with 60.5% of gross gambling revenue coming from online betting, including virtual sports and fixed-odds games.

However, many players are still using offshore platforms that offer full online casinos. These sites operate without South African licences and fall outside local legal protections.

Because the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa has not been enacted, enforcement is weak. In the past five years, only 39 people have been arrested for illegal online gambling.

🎮 What About Legal SA Betting Sites With Casino Games?

Here’s where the nuance matters.

Operators like Betway South Africa, Hollywoodbets, and Supabets are licensed as bookmakers. Under current regulations, they are allowed to offer:

Fixed-odds slots
Crash games like Aviator
BetGames TV
Roulette and blackjack-style live games

These offerings are regulated under betting laws, not casino laws — and are considered legal because they’re offered by locally licensed operators.

If the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa had been implemented, it would have created a dedicated framework for online casino licensing — but in its absence, these games are still permitted as part of a bookmaker’s product suite.

🚫 Offshore Online Casinos: Still Illegal

Websites like:

22Bet
888 Casino
JackpotCity.com (not to be confused with Jackpotcity.co.za)
Spin Casino

…are not licensed in South Africa, and fall under the interactive gambling ban.

Even if these platforms accept South African players, winnings are not legally enforceable, and players have no legal protection if the site refuses to pay or closes their account.

The lack of movement on the National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa leaves players vulnerable to exactly this kind of risk.

📌 Final Word: Why This Still Matters

The National Gambling Amendment Bill South Africa was meant to bring the country’s gambling laws into the digital age. Instead, it’s become a symbol of regulatory paralysis.

Until that changes:

✅ Sports betting remains the only fully legal online activity
⚠️ Casino-style games are only legal when offered by licensed South African bookmakers
❌ Offshore casinos remain illegal and risky

If you’re unsure whether a platform is legal, always check if it is licensed by a South African provincial gambling board — or visit our verified operator list.

🔗 Visit our Compare Betting Sites page to see which platforms are locally licensed.

🧾 Learn more about gambling law at our Licensing & Legal hub.

🔐 You can also read directly from the National Gambling Board for official updates.

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