South Africa licenses online sports and horse-race betting through provincial boards; online casino is prohibited under the National Gambling Act.
Licensing model
State-by-State
Minimum age
18
Currency
ZAR
Licence types
5
On this page
Key points for operators and suppliers
1
Online sports and horse-race betting only through a provincially licensed bookmaker or totalisator; online casino, poker and bingo are unlawful interactive games (NGA s11)
2
Suppliers of gambling machines and devices need a provincial or national manufacturer, supplier or maintenance provider licence; wagering systems must be SANS 1718-4 certified
3
NGB notice of February 2026: remote gambling servers are not lawful and will not be certified; operators must use certified Wagering and Record-keeping Systems
4
Betting taxes are provincial, e.g. Mpumalanga 6.5% of sports-betting gross profit; National Treasury has proposed an extra 20% national tax on online gambling GGR
5
Minimum age 18; FIC Act AML duties apply; bookmakers may not take fixed-odds bets on casino-game outcomes (SCA, October 2025)
What South Africa asks of a licensee
The four questions that decide whether a market is worth entering.
RequiredSeparate B2B supplier licence1 supplier licence type
Not statedLocally incorporated entity
Not statedServers or data held locally
Not statedLocal domain or landing page
Gambling in South Africa is a concurrent national and provincial competence: the National Gambling Act 7 of 2004 sets national norms, the National Gambling Board (NGB) oversees the system, and nine provincial licensing authorities issue the licences. Only four modes are legal (casinos, betting, bingo and limited payout machines), and section 11 of the Act makes offering or playing interactive games unlawful, so online casino, poker and bingo are prohibited. Online betting on sport and horse racing is legal only with a bookmaker or totalisator licensed by a province, and gambling equipment suppliers need a manufacturer, supplier or maintenance provider licence, with devices certified to SANS 1718. The 2008 Amendment Act that would have regulated interactive gambling was never brought into operation, and a 2024 Remote Gambling Bill did not pass. In 2025-2026 the NGB tightened enforcement: it declared remote gambling servers unlawful, amended the exclusion rules, launched a verified-operators list and started a project to block illegal sites, while National Treasury proposed a 20% national tax on online gambling GGR.
Which verticals are legal in South Africa
Status is the position for a licensed operator, not for offshore supply.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Not stated
Esports Betting
Not stated
Horse Racing / Pool Betting
Licensed
Totalisators (e.g. Gold Circle, 4Racing) and bookmakers are licensed provincially to take bets on horse racing, on and off course.
Land-based Casino
Licensed
Casino licences are granted by provincial licensing authorities.
Online Bingo
Prohibited
Bingo is licensed only as a land-based mode; online bingo is an unlawful interactive game.
Online Casino
Prohibited
Interactive games are unlawful under section 11 of the NGA; bookmakers may not offer casino-style games online.
Online Lottery
Not stated
Online Poker
Prohibited
Poker online is an interactive game and is unlawful; only online betting with licensed bookmakers is allowed.
Online Sports Betting
Licensed
Legal only with a bookmaker licensed by a South African provincial licensing authority for online betting.
Retail Betting
Licensed
Bookmaker and totalisator outlets are licensed in every province.
Skill Games
Not stated
Social / Sweepstakes Casino
Not stated
South Africa licence types and what they cost5
Fees are the published headline figures. Tiered and revenue-banded amounts
are set out in the notes under each licence.
Manufacturer, supplier or maintenance provider licence (provincial or national)
B2B Supplier
Businesses that import, manufacture, sell, lease, make available, distribute, maintain or repair gambling machines or devices must be licensed; they may apply to a provincial licensing authority for either a provincial licence or a national licence valid throughout the Republic.
Application
ZAR 15,096
Annual
ZAR 6,043
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape tariffs: manufacturer/distributor new application R15096, annual licence fee R6043, annual investigation fee R30215; national manufacturer licence R120000.
Conditions to satisfy
Licence under NGA s9/s38
Machines and devices certified to SANS 1718 with an NRCS letter of certification
Testing by a licensed SANAS-accredited (ISO 17025) laboratory
National licence holders must comply with the FIC Act
Online Sports BettingRetail BettingHorse Racing / Pool BettingLand-based Casino
Bookmaker licence (provincial)
B2C Operator
Any business laying fixed-odds or open bets on sport, horse racing or other lawful contingencies, including online betting, must hold a bookmaker licence from the provincial licensing authority of the province where it operates.
Application
ZAR 15,096
Annual
ZAR 3,028
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape tariffs: new application R15096, annual licence fee R3028, annual investigation fee R12089; separate bookmaker premises licence R15096 (annual R614 + R1507). Other provinces set their own fees.
Conditions to satisfy
Licence from a provincial licensing authority
Wagering system certified to SANS 1718 Part 4 and approved by the PLA
Bets only from persons aged 18 or older
Licence details displayed on the home page of the digital platform
FIC Act registration and reporting
Online Sports BettingRetail BettingHorse Racing / Pool Betting
Key employee licence (provincial or national)
Key Person / Management
Key employees of gambling and betting licensees must be licensed; national employment licences are applied for through the provincial gambling boards and are tied to the position held.
Application
ZAR 614
Annual
ZAR 163
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape racing and betting tariffs: key employee new application R614, annual licence fee R163, annual investigation fee R614; national key employee licence R4000.
National licence as testing agent
Ancillary / Other
Laboratories that test and calibrate gambling machines or devices must hold a national testing agent licence, applied for through a provincial licensing authority.
Application
—
Annual
—
Term
—
Processing
—
Conditions to satisfy
SANAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025
Totalisator operator licence (provincial)
B2C Operator
Operators of pool (totalisator) betting on horse racing and sport, on and off course, need a provincial totalisator operator licence.
Application
ZAR 302,056
Annual
ZAR 6,043
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape tariffs: new application R302056, annual licence fee R6043, annual investigation fee R151035; totalisator premises licence R15096.
Horse Racing / Pool Betting
Manufacturer, supplier or maintenance provider licence (provincial or national)
B2B Supplier
Businesses that import, manufacture, sell, lease, make available, distribute, maintain or repair gambling machines or devices must be licensed; they may apply to a provincial licensing authority for either a provincial licence or a national licence valid throughout the Republic.
Application
ZAR 15,096
Annual
ZAR 6,043
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape tariffs: manufacturer/distributor new application R15096, annual licence fee R6043, annual investigation fee R30215; national manufacturer licence R120000.
Conditions to satisfy
Licence under NGA s9/s38
Machines and devices certified to SANS 1718 with an NRCS letter of certification
Testing by a licensed SANAS-accredited (ISO 17025) laboratory
National licence holders must comply with the FIC Act
Online Sports BettingRetail BettingHorse Racing / Pool BettingLand-based Casino
Bookmaker licence (provincial)
B2C Operator
Any business laying fixed-odds or open bets on sport, horse racing or other lawful contingencies, including online betting, must hold a bookmaker licence from the provincial licensing authority of the province where it operates.
Application
ZAR 15,096
Annual
ZAR 3,028
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape tariffs: new application R15096, annual licence fee R3028, annual investigation fee R12089; separate bookmaker premises licence R15096 (annual R614 + R1507). Other provinces set their own fees.
Conditions to satisfy
Licence from a provincial licensing authority
Wagering system certified to SANS 1718 Part 4 and approved by the PLA
Bets only from persons aged 18 or older
Licence details displayed on the home page of the digital platform
FIC Act registration and reporting
Online Sports BettingRetail BettingHorse Racing / Pool Betting
Totalisator operator licence (provincial)
B2C Operator
Operators of pool (totalisator) betting on horse racing and sport, on and off course, need a provincial totalisator operator licence.
Application
ZAR 302,056
Annual
ZAR 6,043
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape tariffs: new application R302056, annual licence fee R6043, annual investigation fee R151035; totalisator premises licence R15096.
Horse Racing / Pool Betting
Key employee licence (provincial or national)
Key Person / Management
Key employees of gambling and betting licensees must be licensed; national employment licences are applied for through the provincial gambling boards and are tied to the position held.
Application
ZAR 614
Annual
ZAR 163
Term
—
Processing
—
Western Cape racing and betting tariffs: key employee new application R614, annual licence fee R163, annual investigation fee R614; national key employee licence R4000.
National licence as testing agent
Ancillary / Other
Laboratories that test and calibrate gambling machines or devices must hold a national testing agent licence, applied for through a provincial licensing authority.
Application
—
Annual
—
Term
—
Processing
—
Conditions to satisfy
SANAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025
Gaming tax and regulatory charges
Everything a licensee pays in South Africa on top of the licence fee.
Charge
Rate
Charged on
Paid by
Mpumalanga gambling levy - bookmakers (sport and other contingencies)GGR TaxOnline Sports Betting · Retail Betting
6.5%6.5% of gross profit on bets on sporting events and contingencies other than horse racing
Gross profit (amount wagered less winnings paid, before expenses) per tax period
Gambling businesses are accountable institutions under Schedule 1 of the FIC Act and must register with the Financial Intelligence Centre, carry out customer due diligence, keep records, train staff, appoint a compliance officer and run a risk management and compliance programme.Source
Suspicious transaction and sanctions reportingAll Licensees
Suspicious and unusual transaction or activity reports must be filed as soon as possible and no later than 15 days after the suspicion arises. Clients must be screened against the targeted financial sanctions list, with terrorist property reports and asset freezes where there is a match.15 daysSource
Responsible Gambling requirements
Exclusion internal controlsAll Licensees
Licence holders must submit to their provincial licensing authority, within 90 days of the amended regulations coming into operation, internal control measures to enforce exclusions and keep registered excluded persons from gambling.90 daysSource
Minimum gambling ageAll Licensees
Minors may not gamble, and licensees must take reasonable measures to verify that a person is not a minor before allowing them to gamble.18Source
National Register of Excluded PersonsAll Licensees
Operators must pass a self-exclusion notice to the NGB on the day they receive it; the NGB records it within five working days and circulates it, and operators must implement it within five working days. The exclusion takes effect 10 days after submission.Operator submits same day; exclusion effective 10 days after submissionSource
No marketing to excluded personsAll Licensees
Licence holders must remove an excluded person from mailing lists and stop marketing offers to them no later than 10 days after the NGB notifies them of the listing.10 daysSource
Technical & Certification requirements
Re-certification after technical amendmentsB2B Supplier
Re-certification of technical amendments to machine and device standards must be done within 24 months of the letter of certification lapsing, or within 24 months before it lapses if it lapses within 24 months of the regulations starting.24 monthsSource
Remote gambling servers not permittedAll Licensees
Remote gambling servers are not lawful gambling systems and will not be certified under SANS 1718. Provincial boards must stop approving them and require operators to use certified Wagering and Record-keeping Systems.Source
SANS 1718 certification and testingB2B Supplier
All gambling machines and devices must meet the SANS 1718 technical standards and be tested by gambling laboratories licensed by the regulators and accredited by SANAS to ISO 17025. Bookmakers must use a wagering system certified to SANS 1718 Part 4 and approved by the provincial board.Source
Player Funds requirements
Winnings of minors, excluded persons and unlawful gamblingAll Licensees
Winnings may not be paid to a minor, an excluded person or a person who won them in unlawful gambling; such winnings must be remitted to the NGB, which can apply to the High Court to have them forfeited to the State.Source
Payments requirements
No credit for gamblingAll Licensees
A licensee may not extend credit, in its own name or through a third party, to any person for gambling except as the Act allows.Source
Game Design requirements
No betting on casino-game outcomesB2C Operator
Bookmakers may not offer fixed-odds bets on the outcome of casino games such as roulette, and licensees must stay within their licensed gambling mode.Source
Advertising & Marketing requirements
Advertising content and placement limitsAll Licensees
Adverts may not use lewd content, show excessive play, imply guaranteed success, present gambling as a way out of financial hardship or suggest outcomes depend mainly on skill. Outdoor adverts may not target schools, youth centres or campuses, or places where minors are the main audience.Source
Influencer and brand-ambassador promotionsB2C Operator
Promotions by influencers, brand ambassadors or social-media personalities acting for licensees must comply with section 15 and regulation 3. Provincial boards must order non-compliant influencer content taken down and remove advertising by operators not licensed in their province.Source
Prohibited advertisingAll Licensees
Gambling may not be advertised in a false or misleading way, advertising of gambling that is unlawful is banned, and adverts may not target or attract minors or offer gambling as free or discounted as an inducement.Source
Responsible gambling warning in all adsAll Licensees
Every gambling advert must carry the prescribed warning about addictive and compulsive gambling, across print, email, SMS, video, TV, radio, telephone hold messages and billboards, and may not encourage removal from the exclusion register.Source
Other requirements
Interactive gambling prohibitedAll Licensees
No person may offer or play an interactive game over the internet unless authorised by national law. Contraventions of the NGA can be punished with up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to ZAR 10 million.Up to 10 years and/or ZAR 10000000Source
Licence displayB2C Operator
Licensed operators must show their licence information at their premises or on the home page of their digital platform.Source
Supplier licensingB2B Supplier
No one may import, manufacture, supply, sell, lease, possess, maintain or alter a gambling machine or device unless authorised under the NGA or provincial law.Source
Recent regulatory changes
Newest first. Each entry links to the notice it came from.
Blacklist / Blocking
NGB seeks provider to block illegal online gambling sites
The NGB issued an expression of interest for a service to monitor, track and block illegal online gambling websites, most of them run by offshore operators. Under a July 2026 erratum, submissions were due by 4 September 2026 ahead of a later tender.
The NGB told provincial boards that remote gambling servers are not lawful gambling systems and will not be certified under SANS 1718, in line with an NRCS directive. Operators must use SANS 1718-4 certified Wagering and Record-keeping Systems.
National Gambling Regulations amended on exclusions and re-certification
Government Notice R.7113 amended the National Gambling Regulations, 2004 with a new self-exclusion procedure and forms, a 90-day deadline for operators to file exclusion controls, and new re-certification timelines for machines and devices.
NGB orders crackdown on non-compliant gambling advertising
The NGB directed all provincial boards to review billboard, broadcast and social-media gambling ads, take down non-compliant and unlicensed operators' ads, and hold influencer promotions to the same rules. Provincial boards must report their actions to the NGB quarterly.
Treasury proposes 20% national tax on online gambling GGR
National Treasury published a draft discussion paper proposing a 20% tax on online gambling GGR, on top of existing provincial taxes. Comments closed on 27 February 2026, and the 2026 Budget Review says draft legislation will follow for comment later in the year.
SCA bars bookmakers from betting on casino-game outcomes
The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled on 21 October 2025 that under the Gauteng Gambling Act bookmakers may not offer fixed-odds bets on casino games such as roulette. The NGB said the ruling applies to bookmakers nationally and asked provincial boards to act against non-compliant licensees.
Only online betting is legal. Section 11 of the National Gambling Act makes it unlawful to offer or play interactive games, so online casino, poker and bingo are prohibited. Betting on sport and horse racing online is legal only with a bookmaker licensed by a South African provincial board.
Who regulates gambling in South Africa?
Licences are issued by nine provincial licensing authorities, such as the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board and the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator. The National Gambling Board, an agency of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, oversees them to make sure national norms are applied uniformly and keeps national registers.
How does a sports betting operator get licensed?
It needs a bookmaker licence from the provincial licensing authority of the province where it operates, and licences can only be applied for when that province issues a request for applications. In the Western Cape, a new bookmaker licence application costs ZAR 15096, plus annual licence and investigation fees.
Do B2B suppliers need a licence in South Africa?
Yes. Anyone who imports, manufactures, supplies, leases or maintains gambling machines or devices must hold a manufacturer, supplier or maintenance provider licence, either provincial or national, applied for through a provincial board. Equipment must be certified to SANS 1718 after testing by a SANAS-accredited lab, and since February 2026 remote gambling servers cannot be certified.
How are online bookmakers taxed?
Betting taxes are set by each province. In Mpumalanga, for example, the levy is 6.5% of gross profit on sports betting and 6% of winnings on horse-racing bets. National Treasury has also proposed a separate 20% national tax on online gambling GGR, which is not yet law.
What is the minimum gambling age in South Africa?
The minimum age is 18. Licensees must take reasonable steps to verify that a customer is not a minor, and winnings may not be paid to a minor.
How does self-exclusion work?
People can register on the National Register of Excluded Persons kept by the NGB. Under regulations amended in February 2026, an operator must pass the notice to the NGB on the day it receives it, and the exclusion takes effect 10 days after submission. Operators must keep excluded persons from gambling and stop marketing to them.
What happens to players who use unlicensed online sites?
Winnings from unlawful gambling can be declared forfeit to the State by the High Court at the NGB's request. The NGB reports that about ZAR 3.08 million was forfeited between April 2025 and April 2026, and it publishes a verified list of licensed operators so players can check a site before using it.
Primary legislation and instruments
The statutes, regulations and technical standards this page is built from.
Would have amended the NGA to license and regulate interactive gambling, with player registration and accounts, interactive licence conditions and FIC Act compliance. It has never been brought into operation, so interactive gambling remains unregulated.
Regulations under the NGA covering the national register of excluded persons, advertising content (regulation 3) and certification of gambling machines and devices. Amended on 10 February 2026 to change the exclusion procedure and re-certification timelines.
Sets national norms for casinos, betting, bingo and limited payout machines, retains the National Gambling Board and splits licensing between national and provincial authorities. Section 11 makes offering or playing unauthorised interactive (internet) games unlawful.
Private member's bill that would have created provincial remote gambling operator, manufacturer/supplier/maintenance provider and employment licences, with national norms and FIC Act compliance. It was not enacted.
South African National Standard setting performance requirements for gambling machines and devices; Part 4 covers wagering and record-keeping systems used by betting operators. Devices must be tested by regulator-licensed, SANAS-accredited laboratories.
Provincial act under which the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board licenses casinos, limited payout machines, bookmakers, totalisators, manufacturers and employees and collects provincial gambling and betting taxes.
Compiled from official regulator and government sources, most recently on 26 Sept 2026. It is a starting point for commercial research, not legal advice — confirm the current position with the NGB or local counsel before you act on it.
