Sun International has unveiled a new charter aimed at enhancing responsible gambling practices across its online and land-based platforms. This initiative, announced on Tuesday, underscores the company's commitment to promoting responsible gaming as both a regulatory necessity and a vital business component.
As the leading gaming operator in South Africa, Sun International commands nearly half of the market share. Its online gambling platform, SunBet, operates not only in South Africa but also in Namibia and Botswana.
Ulrik Bengtsson, the CEO of Sun International, indicated that the charter promotes heightened accountability by subjecting responsible gambling to board-level scrutiny. It links performance metrics to executive objectives and commits to annual progress reports. "The Charter informs players what they can expect from us and gives them a way to hold us to account," Bengtsson stated, adding that responsible gambling initiatives will be tracked at the board level and incorporated into executive performance evaluations with annual reporting on advancements.
The charter rests on four foundational principles: player education, player protection, ethical marketing, and staff training and responsibility. One of the most significant commitments within the realm of responsible marketing is the decision to forgo advertising from 6 AM to 8 AM and from midday to 6 PM. This marks a notable shift, as South African gambling regulations do not currently establish specific advertising blackout periods.
In pursuit of promoting responsible gaming messages, Sun International committed to incorporating these into 10% of its gaming advertisements. Furthermore, its marketing efforts will not target minors or those particularly vulnerable to gambling.
On the player protection front, the company offers self-exclusion options where regulations and technological capabilities permit, alongside other tools such as betting limits and cooling-off periods. Beginning in 2027, Sun International will leverage data analytics and AI to identify problematic gambling behaviors more rapidly.
The charter emphasizes improving staff training through mandatory onboarding, role-specific education, and regular refreshers on intervention techniques. Additionally, Sun International pledged to make responsible gambling information readily accessible in its venues and on its online platforms.
While laying out the framework for player protection, Sun International highlighted that the efficacy of these measures hinges on the active participation of bettors. Bengtsson remarked that the provision of safeguards is incomplete if players do not engage with them responsibly. "Responsible gambling is a shared responsibility," he remarked. "We cannot control every player’s behavior, but we can make it easier for people to stay in control."
He added that tools such as limits, cooling-off periods, and self-exclusion can only protect players if utilized. For instance, the operator prohibits activating online accounts for individuals receiving South African social grants or funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. Since Sun cannot access these records, it relies entirely on customers to disclose their status during account registration.
Bengtsson also called for stricter enforcement against unlicensed operators, pointing out that while Sun International and similar licensed firms implement responsible gambling measures, the same is not true for black market operators. He emphasized that government, regulators, and the licensed industry share the responsibility of guiding players toward legal channels for gambling where they are protected.
In discussions on regulation, Bengtsson referenced the South African government's plans for new gambling legislation and proposed tax measures from the National Treasury, including a 20% national gross gaming revenue tax on online gambling. He believes that regulations and taxes should create a competitive environment for licensed operators, ensuring that most players opt for legal platforms that encompass player protections.
"Rules or taxes that make licensed operators less competitive than offshore sites will push players towards platforms where they have no protection," he added. Bengtsson positioned the move towards a consistent national regulatory framework as timely and necessary, urging continued efforts in responsible regulation as the government prepares for new gambling legislation and tax proposals.
