Regulation to Fight Online Casino Addiction in South Africa
Following the success of the online casino industry in Europe, other parts of the world are looking into the possibility of regulating the industry. South Africa is expected to introduce online casino regulation by the end of the year and it seems that the country is about to make significant progress regarding the matter. More and more of South Africa’s citizens are practicing online gambling and although the online casino industry is self-regulated and offers responsible gambling, there are those who are concerned. However, the South Africa government hopes that regulation will be the answer to everybody’s questions.
The National Responsible Gambling Programme said that several cases of gambling addiction have already been treated and the government feels that regulating the online casino industry will be the best solution. By regulating the industry, the government can control the local industry. It can decide how many online casino firms are allowed to operate and what will those firms offer to the South Africans. If the government feels that certain online casino tournaments are unfit for its public, it can ban such contests from taking place. Regulation means that only firms that comply with the local regulations are allowed to operate. Currently, with online gambling still illegal in South Africa, international firms are able to offer all sorts of online services and local law enforcements are having a hard time dealing with everything.
The Trade and Industry Department will submit the bill to Parliament in July, said Chief Director Fungayi Sibanda. “We want to know who is doing what. Take for instance the gambling of minors. If the [online casino] industry is not regulated, you can‘t deal with that,” he said. All measures to fight gambling addictions will be implemented into the bill and the online casino industry will have to follow the strict guidelines. Taxation and revenue that will generate from the legislation programme is going to be used to fight online casino gambling addictions and to benefit the community.
