South Africa extends consultation on proposed national tax for online gambling

South Africa’s National Treasury has given stakeholders more time to respond to its proposed national tax on online gambling, citing public concern over the rapid expansion of digital betting and its wider social impact.

South Africa’s National Treasury has extended the public comment period on its proposed national tax on online gambling, allowing more time for submissions from operators, civil-society groups and provincial regulators. The move comes amid mounting scrutiny of the country’s fast-growing digital betting market and calls for clearer data on gambling-related harm.

The draft proposal, published earlier this year, would introduce a dedicated national tax on online gambling activity, sitting alongside existing corporate income tax and provincial levies. Treasury has framed the measure as a way to ensure that digital betting – including sports wagering and other forms of interactive gambling – makes a more direct contribution to public finances and to programmes addressing gambling addiction.

However, the initial consultation triggered debate over the appropriate tax base and rate, as well as how a national levy would interact with provincial gambling taxes and fees. Industry groups have warned that an overly aggressive headline rate could undermine channelisation to the regulated market, while advocacy organisations argue that stronger fiscal tools are needed to mitigate the social costs of increased gambling access.

By extending the comment window, Treasury signalled that the proposal remains under active review and that final parameters have not yet been fixed. Officials say they will continue to analyse feedback from operators, provincial authorities, public-health experts and consumer groups before issuing a revised draft or moving ahead with legislative steps.

For operators, the extended consultation offers a short-term reprieve but also underlines that some form of additional national-level taxation on online gambling remains firmly on the policy agenda. For regulators and social stakeholders, it provides a further opportunity to push for a framework that balances revenue goals with robust protections for vulnerable players in South Africa’s expanding digital betting ecosystem.