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Think online gambling is legal in SA? The truth may surprise you
The Star
|October 27, 2025
CAN South Africans gamble online? The answer depends on a subtle but critical distinction that most players don't understand.
YOU can bet on the outcome of a gambling game, but you can't gamble online. | IOL Graphics
Online betting is legal. Online gambling is not.
The line between the two may seem technical, but it determines whether you're operating within the law or breaking it.
Online betting - placing wagers on sports results, event outcomes, or even the roll of a dice is permitted.
Sites like Hollywoodbets allow users to predict outcomes and stake money on their predictions.
If you're right, you win according to the odds the platform sets. The key factor: you're not playing the game yourself. You're predicting what will happen.
Online gambling - where you actively participate in casino games like poker, slots, or roulette remains illegal in South Africa.
You cannot legally log into a virtual casino and play blackjack from your Johannesburg apartment, despite offshore sites suggesting otherwise.
The legal foundation was established 14 years ago in the landmark Piggs Peak case before the Supreme Court of Appeal. Casino Enterprises, which operated Piggs Peak Casino and related online platforms, challenged the Gauteng Gambling Board’s declaration that advertising online gambling was illegal.
The judge's ruling was definitive: online gambling occurs where the punter is located, not where the server is hosted.
Denne historien er fra October 27, 2025-utgaven av The Star.
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