Online casino gambling operators with servers located outside of South Africa were prohibited from offering services in the country. This legislation did not include sports gambling online. Therefore, while online betting is legal in South Africa, players should still be wary of chancers on the net. The players of South Africa too are living in uncertainty like us and don’t know when they will come to know about the legality of online games. The Chief Director of South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry, Nomfundo Maseti banned online gambling in South Africa and not allowed to operate in the country.

Here is all the info on the issue is online gambling legal in South Africa?

Introduction
Casino online gaming is a great way to get some entertainment going on, coupled with fantastic gaming, and a marvellous way to unwind from the comfort of one’s own home.

When it comes to casino online game players that reside in South Africa, there is the ever-constant question of legitimacy and legal issues that tend to follow any casino online gambling site and the player that takes part in the services and products on offer to South African players.

Perhaps the best bet would be to take a closer look at the rules of engagement, the legal ramifications and repercussions of any avid casino online game title player found playing online casino games within the South African jurisdictions, as well as the history of South Africa and gambling on the whole, so as to ascertain what the attitude towards these casino online game players and casino online gambling sites tend to be, when in South Africa.

It is also something to be considered as to when one should expect South African individuals, that happen to be ardent casino online players, to bend a rule (read as law) here and there, in lieu of seeking out their preferred mode of entertainment. Is there even an incident where this type of blatant disregarding of legal ordinances is rather seen as a misdemeanour, in other words, is there a pseudo loophole for these avid casino online players residing in South Africa to aim towards? Keep reading to see what the inside scoop with regards to online gambling legal issues in South Africa happens to be.

Is it legal to gamble online in South Africa?
As with all instances in this life, one needs to take a page out of the history books, in order to be able to see where a situation has once been, so as to understand where it stands presently, and in today’s society.

With regards to the casino online gambling industry in South Africa, it is important to hearken back to the days of yesteryear and see the journey that Gambling in South Africa has taken over the years.

From as far back as 1965, South Africa has had a rather vocal and dominant stance against gambling within the country. The 1965 Gambling Act was introduced, clearly making the distinction within South Africa, stating that all forms of gambling were irrevocably determined as illegal, and subsequently banned as a result.

This public denunciation of the activity of gambling was, however, not taken lightly by the general South African populus, in that many a South African citizen would knowingly break this predetermined gambling act and decree, and opt to play their hand at any given gambling activity, this way breaking the rules (and law), and opt to rather take part in illegal gambling via the many thousands of illegal casino that were situated throughout the country of South Africa.

In fact, between the 1970’s and the 1990’s, South African casino game players had the opportunity to take up their preferred mode of entertainment via gambling activity, in one of the over 2000 illegal casinos that just so happened to be spread out throughout South Africa.

It was in 1994, with the introduction and induction of the new government that a revised gambling act was introduced to South Africa, resulting in the implementation of the National Gambling Act of 1996. This new gambling act legalised land-based casinos and initiated a reform where all forms of gambling within South Africa was now on the path to being regulated by the National Gaming Board.

It was in 2004 that the National Gambling Act was revised, this time making special mention of the fact that online casino gambling was indeed illegal. Further to this was the National Gambling Act Amendment of 2008, where the further emphasis was placed on the illegal nature of casino online operators located within the jurisdiction of South Africa.

Tell me more
What the above quintessentially boils down to is the following:

Playing at an online casino gambling site that operates from within South Africa is illegal. The products and services of any given casino online gambling site, that happens to be residing within the South African borders is in fact deemed illegal and banned.

However, there seems to be a loophole in terms of the rights and legal issues involving the individual South African casino online player. There has been zero incidents or records pertaining to the prosecution of any given casino online player from South Africa, and truth be told, there are very many casino online game players that are South Africans, that remain active and ardent casino online game players, even today.

The general consensus is as such: any offshore casino online gambling site may decide to offer South African players the right to enjoy their casino online slot games and promotional bonus offers, and ultimately join up to be part of the said casino online gambling sites’ player community – it is solely the prerogative of the offshore casino online gambling site in question as to whether they will open their doors to the South African player or not.

The reason why South Africa has clamped down on casino online gambling is in large due to the banking systems within South Africa, and their unwillingness to associate with gambling entities as a whole. The risks are felt to be too great, therefore offshore casino online sites are eligible for gameplay, as these sites are more than happy to take up potential risks that would be associated with bank systems affiliated with gambling enterprises.

Similarly, should a casino online gambling site decide to take up residency in SOuth Africa, although it is an illegal enterprise to undertake, the South African player that signs up to this particular type of casino online brand will not feel the heavy hand of the law come down on them, instead, ti si the casino online gambling site itself which will take the full brunt of the law and the consequences, therefore, plainly put, it is the casino online gambling site that will take all the risks of operating in South Africa.

Conclusion
In one word: it is illegal to have and operate an online casino gambling site within the jurisdiction of South Africa, however, should there be an offshore casino online gambling site that is willing to allow South African casino online game players to sign up and join their particular player community, this is something that is not illegal, and in fact a loophole that many casino online gaming sites have decided to take up, as well as many casino online game players that reside in South Africa.

As is most common with countries that frown upon and even ban casino online gambling, just like South Africa, the entire premise rests on the fact that these countries do not want to associate with nefarious gambling entities. This type of thinking is quite archaic, and especially with the invention of eWallets, cryptocurrencies, and the likes, it will not surprise us when South Africa, and countries just like it, will soon take another look at their stance when it comes to casino online gambling, and move to making it a legal and regulated industry instead.

Online Sports Betting South Africa Legal

What laws apply, how it has changed over the years, specific legislation, etc.

Is it safe to gamble online in South Africa? What does the law say? Will it be changing soon? Why are there online casinos offering jackpots in Rands if it's not legal? I really want to win those jackpots, so what should I do?

If you've ever wondered about the answer to one of these questions, or any other questions related to playing at online casinos in South Africa, you need to read this Legal Guide to Gambling in South Africa. Hopefully we'll answer all your questions by covering the following topics:

• What laws currently apply to online gaming in RSA?
• How has it changed over the years?
• Can players expect a change in legislation any time soon?
• Where can South Africans play with peace of mind?

And if that seems like way too much reading, here are the crib notes: Yes, it's safe for you to gamble online in South Africa. The law says that online gambling is not allowed, but as a player you don't have too much to worry about.

So what laws currently apply to online gaming in RSA?

Presently, the law on online gambling in South Africa states that it is illegal for any online casino to offer gambling services within the RSA borders. While this seems pretty cut and dried, Internet gaming providers have found loopholes like setting up their operations in countries where online gaming is legal.

And while the Gambling Act also states that it's unlawful for SA players to sign up for an account to gamble online, it places the bulk of the responsibility on the operators to ensure that they don't accept SA players, rather than holding the players themselves accountable. And since we have yet to hear about any individual players that have been singled out and had legal action taken against them, we're pretty confident that if you play at a fully licensed and regulated casino in a reliable jurisdiction, you'll be just fine.

Legal Online Gambling Sites South Africa

South Africa's first Gambling Act came into force in 1965. Since then, there have been many changes, most of which applied to land-based casinos. With the invention of the Internet, online gambling also had to be included. This was done in the National Gambling Act of 2004, where online gambling was banned in SA. Fast-forward to September 2011, where the Act went a step further by making it clear that operators were banned from offering online gambling services to South African residents. Although there have since been suggested amendments tabled in Parliament, that was the last amendment to date.

So can we expect a change in legislation any time soon?

Industry experts predict that government will eventually grasp the obvious economic, social and practical benefits of regulating the online gambling industry. However, there is no telling when that will happen.

Online Gambling South Africa Legalization

In the meantime, South African players should take care to play only at fully licensed casinos that are based in a reputable jurisdiction. It's also very important to make sure that your preferred South African online casino makes use of up-to-date and comprehensive security systems to protect your sensitive information. Another thing to look out for is whether the online casino undergoes third party audits. This will ensure that they comply with the minimum standards for the industry, which will further protect your rights and ensure fair play practices.

Online Gambling South Africa Legal Forms

In order to make sure that you play only at the best gaming providers, we've been keeping a list of carefully selected South African online casinos for you to choose from. Each one of these Internet casinos offer fantastic welcome bonuses, as well as lucrative ongoing offers and promotions to get you on your way toward winning the jackpot of your dreams.