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Published: 16th November 2008 Written by Poker News
Updated: 8th December 2023

South Africa Poker legislation billSouth Africa have taken a step forward in terms of legislating, taxing and permitting online internet gambling. South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, released a bill this week for public comment that plans to tax Internet gambling.

The bill will include a special tax on “interactive gambling” which was earlier regulated by South Africa’s National Gambling Amendment Bill approved by Parliament earlier in May 2008.

South Africa Internet gaming law

South Africa intend on taxing the operators with active gambling websites in South Africa with revenues earned calculated in gross gambling revenue.

The initial National Gambling Act which this year’s bill amended did not provide for legalized interactive gambling in South Africa, the Minister explained. The amendment bill therefore allows for this form of gambling in South Africa in order to ensure regulatory oversight of the pastime, and to prevent it remaining in the hands of offshore jurisdictions, with little or no protection for local consumers.

The South African National Gambling Amendment Bill provides for strong national regulation of online gambling through setting up of strict national rules, South African legislators reinforced existing regulatory conditions and further protected consumers while preventing children from accessing the sites. The bill will cover both poker and casino games offered online.

Once public comment has been fully obtained, the South African Interactive Gambling Tax Bill will be tabled in Parliament during the first half of 2009; comments on the subject must be sent to the National Treasury of South Africa before March 1 2009 to be included.