South Africa’s National Gambling Board (NGB) has partnered with Google and Meta to curb the promotion of illegal online gambling platforms as it intensifies efforts to protect consumers from unlicensed offshore operators.
Speaking before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition on June 24, Acting Chief Executive, Lungile Dukwana said both technology companies are supporting the regulator’s enforcement efforts, with Google responding to requests to remove illegal gambling advertisements and Meta assisting in tackling unauthorised online promotions.
Dukwana noted that South Africa’s National Gambling Act prohibits interactive gambling, making it the regulator’s responsibility to act against illegal online operators targeting local consumers.
He said many offshore gambling companies offering online casino services to South Africans are licensed in jurisdictions such as Gibraltar, Malta, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom but are not authorised to operate within South Africa.
To address the issue, the NGB has issued cease-and-desist notices to several operators and is collaborating with regulators in foreign jurisdictions to prevent licensed companies from unlawfully targeting the South African market.
The regulator described illegal online gambling as one of its biggest enforcement challenges and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cross-border cooperation to combat the growing threat.
