SIGNED AT LAST (Update)

25 July 2008

South African online gambling legalised - but a delay in implementation


It's taken some time, but the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki has finally signed off on the National Gambling Amendment Bill, which was approved on May 9, 2008 to license and regulate online gambling. But for reasons that are not yet clear, the legislation will not be implemented "until a date chosen by the President."

The bill was introduced to parliament in order to set up regulations for the online gambling industry in South Africa more than a year ago. It followed an intensive international study of Internet gambling commissioned by South Africa's National Gambling Board, which found that there is a need for licensed and regulated online gambling for the African nation.

The Bill has been extensively debated, and makes provision for player protection and disputes, the protection of underage and problem gamblers, advertising and marketing controls, a tough licensing and regulatory regime and anti-money laundering precautions. It is accompanied by taxation elements.

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