The National Gambling Board (NGB) of South Africa is seeking a service provider to monitor and block illegal online gambling websites that target local consumers. This initiative comes as the deadline for expressions of interest (EOI) approaches, originally published on June 30 and updated on July 17. The closing date for submissions has been pushed from August 7 to September 4, 2026, following a briefing for potential bidders on July 15.
Research conducted by Yield Sec and commissioned by the South African Bookmakers’ Association (SABA) indicates that approximately 62% of online gambling in South Africa is associated with illegal operators, leading to an estimated R50 billion ($3.1 billion) in annual gross revenue leaving the country.
During a session with the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry, and Competition in June, acting CEO Lungile Dukwana stated that a national policy on interactive gambling remains undeveloped. He emphasized the need for a legal framework and mentioned ongoing dialogues with the National Gambling Policy Council regarding the matter. Dukwana expressed that while some see blocking as technically and legally challenging, many believe it is overdue. He likened this procurement effort to a scoping exercise aimed at understanding market offerings.
The envisioned service will monitor illegal gambling websites aimed at South Africans, gathering information about the sites’ origins, licensing, and ownership. It would be responsible for blocking identified sites and reporting them to the NGB, which would facilitate law enforcement referrals. This system would also involve tracking blocked sites to ensure they remain inaccessible and re-blocking them if they resurface.
The NGB cites the National Gambling Act as the foundation for this initiative, asserting its responsibility to support provincial authorities in detecting unlicensed gambling activities. They believe that implementing the capacity to block sites will help suppress illegal gambling operations, which remain prohibited under South African law.
The attempt to establish a single action against illegal operators is not the aim. Instead, the NGB seeks a continuous capability to block sites whenever illegal gambling attempts are made available to South African bettors. The EOI indicates that the board is not obligated to award any contracts, as it is merely seeking proposals from providers to possibly invite them for further requests for proposal or tender processes in the future.
In response to the EOI, the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has voiced strong opposition to the administrative blocking of internet access to unlicensed gambling websites, especially in the absence of a comprehensive legal framework. ISPA’s chair, Sasha Booth-Beharilal, emphasized the necessity for a balance between communication rights and addressing harmful content, insisting that any internet disruption should only occur within a clear legislative structure.
While ISPA acknowledges that blocking illegal content may be necessary, it argues that such frameworks must have a strong legal basis, judicial oversight, and time limitations. The organization also questions the efficacy of blocking measures, noting that many technical users can circumvent domain name blocking and asserting that IP address blocking can cause unintended consequences. An example cited involved a European court-ordered block that inadvertently shut down over half a million unrelated sites.
Currently, NGB's resources for identifying illegal gambling sites remain limited, as indicated by a National Assembly response showing only two personnel and an allocation of R596,000 for the 2025/26 financial year. The NGB maintains a database of 90 illegal gambling websites, all operated by foreign entities.
In a previous effort, the NGB had referred ten websites to Google Africa for removal from search results during 2024/25, but no sites had been removed at the time of inquiry. The NGB's annual report states that, of the 90 operators, 23 ceased access following NGB intervention; however, it acknowledges that users can still access these sites using technical workarounds. Dukwana noted that even those sites removed with assistance from Google and Meta eventually return, a problem the proposed EOI’s tracking function aims to address.
SABA's chief executive, Sean Coleman, responded to the procurement proposal with caution, noting that while website blocking is significant, it should not be seen as a complete solution. He acknowledged that illegal operators can quickly establish mirror and alternative sites. Bidders must detail their methodologies in the EOI and specify their requirements, including necessary approvals and letters of consent.
The NGB has so far declined to provide specific comments regarding the EOI process, underlining that it remains active and submissions are still pending. They stated their preference for maintaining equal access to information throughout the procurement process and confirmed that further details will be shared once the EOI submission phase concludes.
