Sustainable Taxation and Stronger Action Against Illegal Gambling Critical to Africa’s Gaming Future, iGB L!VE Panel Concludes
London, United Kingdom – 1 July 2026
The need for balanced taxation, stronger action against illegal gambling and greater collaboration between regulators and industry emerged as key themes during Panel 3 of the Africa Summit at iGB L!VE London 2026.
The panel brought together Lungile Dukwana, Chief Executive Officer of South Africa’s National Gambling Board, and Dan Thomson, Chief Commercial Officer of pawaTech and Founding Board Member of the African iGaming Alliance (AiA), for an engaging discussion moderated by Ed Birkin, Managing Director at H2 Gambling Capital.
Opening the discussion from a regulatory perspective, Dukwana emphasised that taxation should never be viewed purely as a mechanism for raising government revenue. Instead, tax policy should support broader economic and public policy objectives, including consumer protection, sustainable investment and the long-term growth of regulated gaming markets.
He warned that illegal gambling continues to evolve, with criminal syndicates increasingly cloning legitimate operator websites to deceive consumers. Such activities not only expose players to financial losses but also undermine confidence in regulated markets.
Dukwana highlighted South Africa’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal gambling through consumer education, verified licensed operator platforms and enhanced enforcement measures aimed at disrupting illegal operators. He further stressed the importance of benchmarking international best practice when developing taxation and regulatory policies, cautioning that excessive taxation can discourage investment while unintentionally strengthening illegal markets.
Providing the industry perspective, Marchant argued that governments, regulators and licensed operators share a common objective: maximising channelisation by ensuring that the greatest possible proportion of gaming activity takes place through licensed, regulated and taxed operators.
Speaking on behalf of both betPawa and the African iGaming Alliance, he noted that regulated operators contribute far more than tax revenue. They create employment, invest in local economies, support responsible gambling initiatives, implement advanced player protection technologies and contribute to wider economic development across the continent.
Marchant contrasted this with illegal and offshore operators, which pay no local taxes, create no local employment and provide little or no consumer protection.
While acknowledging the importance of enforcement measures such as blocking illegal websites and disrupting unlawful payment channels, he argued that enforcement alone cannot eliminate illegal gambling. Sustainable success, he said, depends equally on creating stable, predictable and commercially viable regulatory environments that encourage responsible operators to invest and grow.
He cautioned that excessive taxation, regulatory uncertainty and unsustainable compliance costs ultimately drive legitimate operators from markets, leaving consumers with fewer regulated choices while strengthening illegal operators.
Throughout the discussion, both speakers agreed that achieving higher levels of channelisation should become a central objective for African jurisdictions seeking to build sustainable regulated gaming markets.
The panel concluded that effective regulation requires a balanced approach—combining proportionate taxation, robust enforcement, strong consumer protection and close collaboration between regulators and industry. Such an approach will not only strengthen regulatory oversight but also support investment, job creation and long-term economic growth across Africa’s gaming sector.
The African iGaming Alliance welcomed the discussion, reaffirming its commitment to working alongside regulators, governments and industry stakeholders to promote evidence-based policy, responsible gambling and sustainable regulatory frameworks that enable Africa’s regulated gaming industry to thrive.
