Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has sounded the alarm on a growing underground web of nearly 90 illegal online gambling websites operating within South Africa, flouting National Gambling Board (NGB) regulations and putting consumers at risk.
Revealed during a recent parliamentary briefing, these rogue platforms—many hosted offshore—offer unauthorized betting services that bypass the country’s stringent gambling laws. Tau warned that these illegal operators not only rob the fiscus of billions in potential tax revenue but also expose users to fraud, money laundering, and lack of consumer safeguards. “These operators undermine our regulatory framework and pose serious risks to vulnerable citizens,” he said.
The NGB, working closely with law enforcement and internet service providers, has already blocked 20 of these sites in 2025 alone, intensifying efforts to dismantle this digital shadow market. Meanwhile, the Financial Intelligence Centre is probing possible illicit financial flows tied to these operations.
The surge in online gambling—fueled by widespread smartphone access and aggressive marketing tactics—has created fertile ground for these unregulated platforms to thrive. Minister Tau urged South Africans to confirm a site’s legitimacy through the NGB’s official portal (http://ngb.org.za) and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
Legal gambling injects over R3 billion annually into the national economy, but illegal operators threaten this vital revenue stream and public safety alike. Tau outlined plans to bolster legislation and deepen international cooperation to combat this growing menace, promising further updates by year-end.
