Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, officially tabled the National Gambling Amendment Bill on Friday (20 July).

The Amendment Bill – which has existed in various forms since 2016 – proposes several changes to South Africa’s main gambling legislation, including a number of changes to South Africa’s current gambling structures as well as a strengthening of current rules.

According to the draft bill, which is currently available on the Department of Trade and Industry’s website, some of the biggest changes include:

Repositioning the National Gambling Board to be a National Gambling Regulator;
Transferring the regulation of all bets on the national lottery, foreign lottery, lottery results and sports pools to a National Lotteries Commission;
Prohibiting dog racing and bets on dog racing in South Africa;
Strengthening the regulation of casinos, limited pay-out machines and bingo. This includes the regulation of electronic forms of bingo, and the maximum number of bingo licenses and machines that can be granted in South Africa;
Restrictions on gambling premises and locations of automated tellers – including ‘seperate’ and ‘hidden’ entrances for gambling areas located inside general public places such as shopping malls, arcades, complexes or centres;
Recognition of a self-regulating body in the horse racing industry;
Providing for broad-based black economic empowerment in the gambling industry. Notably this will apply to individuals applying for gambling licences;
Unlawful winnings will now be forfeited to the National Gambling Regulator;
Imposing gambling advertising restrictions.