.svg)
South Africa’s landmark gambling bills are awaiting their next steps, but one province says it now plans to tax online gambling itself.
The Remote Gambling Bill, which would regulate online gambling in the country, is sponsored by the Democratic Alliance (DA) Party’s national spokesperson on trade, industry and competition, Toby Chance MP.
Chance, who “revived” the bill last year, told Vixio GamblingCompliance that the bill “is still waiting to be tabled before the DTIC Portfolio Committee”.
He previously said passing it would be a “lengthy process” that could take up to two years. However, he is confident there is a “growing appetite” to regulate online gambling.
There has been little progress since Vixio’s last conversation with Chance in November 2024.
“The (Parliament) programme for the next term beginning at the end of April has not yet been published,” he said.
The DA has never had a successful private members' bill before; however, since gains in this year’s general election, the party is no longer seen as opposition to the African National Congress (ANC) party, which has governed South Africa since 1994, and is now partnered with it in the current coalition government.
A separate National Gambling Amendment Bill (B27B), introduced in its current form by the ANC’s trade minister in 2019, was referred to a mediation committee on April 12, 2024.
On July 25, 2024, the chief whip officially revived that bill from the stage it had reached before it lapsed on the last day of the previous parliament.
However, there has similarly been little progress on this bill since then.
“There is also the issue of the National Gambling Amendment Bill which is awaiting the formation of Parliament's Mediation Committee where it will be discussed. There is no certainty as yet on when it will be formed,” Chance confirmed to Vixio.
In the meantime, some South African provinces are taking matters into their own hands.
Gauteng's Finance MEC, Lebogang Maile, said on March 18 during the province’s 2025/2026 budget presentation that he is preparing legislation to regulate online gambling.
“People are making a lot of money from online gambling. Unfortunately, most of those punters are from Gauteng and we are not getting the tax that is due to us. We are done with the draft amendment, it is there,” he said.
Gauteng is the largest contributor to the country’s GDP, attributing to 35 percent of the total, according to the Gauteng provincial budget 2025/2026.
Although online gambling is prohibited at the federal level, online betting licences are available and are issued by the provincial licensing authorities.
In addition, live dealer casino games are permitted as “contingent events” within the Western Cape and Mpumalanga.
