Africa’s Gambling Laws — Where Is and Isn’t Legal to Gamble in Africa?
The NGB or as they are also known the National Gambling Board is responsible for overseeing and regulating the land based gaming venues in South Africa. It is currently deemed to be illegal to gamble at an online casino in South Africa however some online betting sites have been given licenses allowing them to accept wagers from citizens and residents of South Africa.
Different countries have different stances on gambling. In some countries, like the United Kingdom, gambling is a huge industry and a common pastime that helps the country’s economy. On the other end of the spectrum are countries that consider gambling to be a sin and harshly punish anyone who participates in it.
When it comes to Africa, you can see a little bit of both. After all, the African continent has 54 countries and in order to satisfy all these countries min deposit casino offers the best experience, however the African continent has its own views and laws in regards to gambling. In this article, we will look at a few African countries and compare their gambling laws in order for you to get a glimpse of the continent’s gambling landscape.
Islamic Countries
Internet sports betting remains the only form of legal online gambling today. Furthermore, South Africa criminalizes the act of placing illegal wagers. Several other countries, such as Kuwait and Lebanon, feature similar laws. However, they don’t enforce them through actual arrests. Calicchio said that an issue of particular concern to the industry is that of illegal gambling. The Casino Association of South Africa (CASA) estimated that in 2016 illegal gambling cost the.
Almost one-third of all Muslim population lives in Africa. In countries like Mauritania, Somalia, Algeria, Morocco, Niger, and Tunisia, more than 99% of the people are Muslim. These African countries, together with several others, are governed by Islamic law. According to Islam, gambling is a grave sin, which is why all forms of gambling are strictly forbidden.
Being caught gambling in a Muslim-dominant country can come with severe punishments. That’s why people in such countries don’t even attempt to run gambling operations or even participate in underground gambling games. These countries have no casinos, no sportsbooks, no poker rooms, and no lotteries.
Of course, offshore gambling sites are accessible to an extent, but these countries have very small online gambling penetration, and top offshore casinos and sportsbooks don’t even bother to welcome their residents.
Egypt
Egypt is a bit of an oddball when it comes to gambling laws. This is another country with a Muslim majority (around 95%). However, not all forms of gambling are illegal here. Namely, the state lottery is completely legal and is played by millions every week.
It’s also interesting that Egypt has several legal casino venues. Unsurprisingly, most of these casinos are located in the country’s capital Cairo. However, the casino grounds are only accessible to tourists and players who have come from abroad.
This is a clever way to boost the economy and the gambling sector while still abiding by Islamic law. To further discourage their citizens from playing gambling games, the casinos only accept payments in American dollars.
Nevertheless, it is a common practice among Egyptians to play gambling games online. The laws don’t mention anything about gambling on the internet, so this form of gambling is technically not illegal. Many offshore gambling sites accept players from Egypt. This is a country of over 100 million people, and the operators see it as a huge untapped market.
Nigeria
Nigeria is one of the few African countries where gambling is fully regulated. What’s more, it’s one of the most competitive gambling markets on the continent. In charge of these regulations is the National Lottery Regulatory Commission that was established in 2005 when several forms of gambling became legal.
However, not all gambling games are legal in Nigeria. The only allowed forms of gambling are the lottery, land-based casinos, and sports wagering. While casinos are legal, several casino games are not, like dice games, roulette, and luck-based card games.
You would think that the Nigerian gambling laws forbid games of chance and only allow gambling that requires some skill, but this is not always the case. For example, video slots are legal as well, although slot machines can only be provided by licensed operators.
Nigeria has also regulated online gambling. Operators can apply for a license and offer gambling services over the web as long as they follow the rules and don’t offer any illegal games. There are also no restrictions on Nigerian residents who decide to play on offshore gambling sites.
South Africa
South Africa is one of the most developed African countries and a country with some of the most liberal gambling laws on the continent. All forms of gambling in South Africa were legalized in 1994 when the new government took power. The National Gambling Board regulates and supervises gambling in the country.
The most popular form of gambling in South Africa is the national lottery with five million transactions per week. The popularity of the lottery is followed by slot machines, scratchcards, and sports betting.
There are plenty of casinos in South Africa, and there’s one in almost every metropolitan area. The country is home to the largest casino on the continent called Rio Casino Resort, which is also the fifth-largest casino on the globe. South Africans love horse racing as well, which was the only legal form of gambling prior to 1994.
On the downside, online gambling has not been legalized yet, as the National Gambling Act of 2004 forbade interactive gambling services in all jurisdictions. To make matters worse, offshore gambling is illegal as well, although many South African players do occasionally find loopholes that allow them to play on foreign sites.
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Since before South Africa became a republic, gambling in most forms was banned. While the laws have changed significantly, it is certainly not a free for all, however, gambling in and of itself is no longer illegal. Gambling in land-based establishments in South Africa is legal and regulated. For many years, South Africans traveled outside of the legal borders of South African in order to go to a casino. With the changes in the gambling law, this is no longer necessary. Online gambling in South Africa is still illegal at this time.
SA'S GAMBLING ACT OF 1965
The South African Gambling Act of 1965 ruled gambling as illegal. Gambling, such as horseracing, was legal. The reason for this is because horseracing is considered a sport. In the 1970s, there were a number of illegal casinos created, with the number rising until there were about 2,000 illegal casinos in the mid 90s. Along with the change from a conservative government to a democratic one, the gambling laws were updated in 1994. At that time, gambling was legalised. In 1996, South Africa introduced a national lottery and regulated and licensed casinos.
CHANGES TO THE GAMBLING ACT IN 2004
In 2004, the 1996 Act was repealed, and the National Gambling Act of 2004 came into effect. While land-based gambling was still allowed, online gambling was no longer considered legal. Again, sportsbetting, even if it was done online, was still considered legal. While online gambling is illegal, the emphasis and main responsibility seems to lie with the gambling operators and the financial institutions. To date, no individuals have been prosecuted for playing at online casinos.
GAMBLING LAW TODAY
In 2008, there was an attempt to legalise and regulate the online gambling market in South Africa, however, since there was strong opposition, the Act has not yet been accepted as law. In 2010, the North Gauteng High Court issued a ruling that gambling transactions though both local and offshore operators is illegal. While both players and operators are fully aware of this law, there are still many casino choices open to South African players.
Is Online Gambling Illegal In South Africa
Those who choose to play at online casinos should make sure that the casinos are safe and secure, and have a good reputation. Although the online casinos will not be licensed in South Africa, it is important to choose a casino that is fully licensed in a recognised gaming jurisdiction.
Is Internet Gambling Illegal In South Africa News24
Many of the online casinos that still offer their sites to South African players will offer players the chance of playing in South African Rands (ZAR), and thereby avoiding exchange rate fees. Many casinos also offer a special Welcome Bonus or free money offer to those who are located in South Africa. In addition to this, players should keep an eye open for an online casino with top notch Customer Support team. Customer Support is available 24 hours a day, with many support teams offering a South African toll free telephone number.