The National Gambling Amendment Bill was officially drafted on Friday 20 July by Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies. The Amendment Bill proposes several changes to South Africa’s main gambling legislation including current gambling structures and more stringent rules.
According to the draft bill, 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. Including the regulation of electronic forms of bingo, and the maximum number of bingo licenses and machines that can be granted in South Africa.
– New 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. This will apply to individuals applying for gambling licences.
– Unlawful winnings will now be forfeited to the National Gambling Regulator.
– Imposing gambling advertising restrictions.
Read the drafted National Gambling Amendment Bill here.
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