The South African Department of Trade and Industry has proposed a blanket prohibition on online gambling and other new forms of gambling such as dog racing. The department also wants to restrict the number of electronic bingo terminals in the country
The proposal is being reviewed by the National Gambling Policy Council.
The department’s deputy director-general Zodwa Ntuli and chief director MacDonald Netshitenzhe told the country’s Parliament that the government should limit gambling to the traditional forms already in place in the country.
The country’s Democratic Alliance party voiced strong opposition to a ban.
“That is a very, very bad decision,” DA spokesman on trade and industry Geordin Hill-Lewis said. “I fiercely disagree with that view. It is completely shortsighted to say that it is better for South Africans not to be allowed to gamble online when there is patently significant demand in the country to do that. It is for government to facilitate that in the safest way possible.”
Ntuli said the department’s policy decision stems from the country having a higher level of problem gambling and indebtedness than many other countries.
The department also wants to clamp down on access to gambling activities by banning gambling machines in shopping malls and introducing new horse-racing regulations.
