South Africa's National Gambling Board reports increased turnover

The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition was briefed by the National Gambling Board (NGB) on its performance in the first and second quarters of the 2023/24 financial year.

Commending the NGB for its eighth consecutive clean audit, Committee Chairperson Ms Judy Hermans expressed satisfaction with the board's performance.

The committee learned that the gambling industry witnessed a significant increase in turnover, with R521.7 billion wagered during the first two quarters of the financial year, marking a 41.4% rise from the previous year.

Betting emerged as the dominant sector, accounting for 63.5% of turnover, with Mpumalanga and the Western Cape leading in turnover generation.

Regarding gross gaming revenue (GGR), the betting industry led with 58.6%, followed by casinos at 30.5%, contributing substantially to industry taxes/levies.

Despite overall satisfaction, the committee noted the need for legislative reforms, particularly concerning online gambling, which remains illegal in South Africa but persists.

Furthermore, concerns were raised about the dormant state of the Gambling Policy Committee since 2018, prompting the committee to request urgent action from the Minister to convene a meeting.