Source: National Gambling Board (SA)
South Africa’s National Gambling Board warned the public about illegal gambling and said millions in unlawful winnings had been forfeited. The notice cited the board’s statutory mandate under the National Gambling Act.
The warning signals enforcement against unlawful gambling and potential forfeiture of winnings in South Africa.
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South Africa’s National Gambling Board said it had asked the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to help block access to offshore gambling websites. It has also issued legal notices to companies it believes are operating unlawfully and is working with police, provincial authorities and technology companies on enforcement; figures presented by the board put 2024/25 wagers at roughly R1.5 trillion and gross gambling revenue at R75 billion.
South Africa’s National Gambling Board welcomed the successful prosecution of people involved in an illegal gambling operation in Hoedspruit, Limpopo. The available page text does not provide further details of the prosecution.
South Africa's National Gambling Board warned of an increase in illegal online gambling platforms and counterfeit betting apps targeting punters ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Acting CEO Lungile Dukwana said the operators reach victims through Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS links and apps from outside official stores. The NGB urged consumers to check licensed operators and bet cautiously during the tournament.
South Africa’s National Gambling Board (NGB) said more than R3m in proceeds from unlawful gambling was forfeited to the state under High Court orders. The reported total was R3.075m, comprising about R775,000 seized between April 2025 and March 2026 and a further R2.3m forfeited by 10 April 2026.
A media investigation found 87 domains offering betting and withdrawals across six Telegram channels, a month after Brazil’s provisional measure prohibited betting platforms. The channels had more than 43 mil subscriptions, and none of the domains ended in .bet.br; the Finance Ministry’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting said it had blocked more than 47 mil illegal sites since the measure was issued.
Betting channels on Telegram are still advertising games and referral bonuses in Brazil, a month after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a provisional measure banning betting platforms, Metrópoles reported. Its investigation found 87 distinct domains advertised in six channels with more than 43 mil subscriptions combined. None of the 87 domains had the ending that had identified federally authorised platforms before the ban.