ILLEGAL GAMBLING CRISES NEEDS SPECIALIST DIGITAL AND INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS @KASIBC_AFRICA

RISE Mzansi has taken its fight against illegal gambling, and for gambling reforms to the country’s law enforcement agencies. We can today reveal that work is being done at the level of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI or Hawks) to end the scourge of illegal gambling in South Africa. We will not rest until there are gambling reforms in South Africa.

The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, in reply to a RISE Mzansi written parliamentary question has stated that, over the last five-years:

36 illegal online gambling cases were reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) 39 arrests were made in illegal online gambling cases

22 arrests resulted in convictions, in illegal online gambling cases, however 13 suspects had charges withdrawn in court

32,906 cases of illegal “land-based” gambling were reported to the SAPS

 

It is clear from the above that illegal gambling is fast becoming a priority crime, with the online form of gambling beginning to rear its ugly head.

RISE Mzansi is encouraged that illegal gambling is on the radar of the SAPS and Hawks.We are also given a sense of peace that the Police Minister Mchunu has stated that he is working with stakeholders such as the National Gambling Board (NGB) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and other Government Departments.

In a separate reply to a RISE Mzansi written parliamentary reply, the custodian of gambling legislation, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), Parks Tau, worryingly stated the NGB only has two people dedicated to deal with the crisis of illegal gambling websites, with an allocation only R596,000 to deal with an industry worth over R1Trillion. The paltry amount of R596,000 must also cover the costs of travel and Legal Enforcement Forum Meetings for the 2025/25 financial year.

Moreover, DTIC Minister Tau stated that the NGB Database indicates that 90 illegal gambling websites are operating in South Africa; and of those 90, ten were forwarded to Google for their removal, but to-date they remain up and running.

With regards to online gambling, Police Minister Mchunu has indicated that there were problems surrounding the validity of the search warrants, an issue that requires further probing.

It is clear that the SAPS, NPA and DTIC require specialist digital and investigative capacity to deal with illegal gambling, which not only steals money owed to the Government , but it also threatens the livelihoods of South Africans.