South Africa mulls online gambling law
18th March, 2008
South Africa's National Assembly is being asked to consider whether to legalise online casino gambling, it has emerged.
The Select Committee of National Provinces is currently reviewing a bill which would overturn the current laws in place that ban all forms of online gambling, including poker and virtual slot machine websites.
People who break the current 2004 National Gaming Act can be issued hefty fines as high as $1.26 million (£625,000) and can even face a jail sentence of up to ten years.
But according to the chief executive of the National Gambling Board, Themba Marasha, the majority of agencies tasked with monitoring the ban on advertising, marketing and partaking in online gambling say that regulation is a more viable solution than prohibition.
Analysts have often cited loopholes in countries such as America that have allowed many online casino fans to bypass state and federal laws prohibiting the practice.
The South African parliament is expected to reach a decision on the bill within weeks, though no firm date has been set as yet.
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By Elena
