South Africa's National Gambling Board has issued a tender for a contractor to monitor, block and track illegal gambling sites targeting the local market. The deadline for submissions is 4 September 2026.
The unlicensed market is large. A Yield Sec study commissioned by the South African Bookmakers Association found that roughly 62% of online gambling activity in the country flows to unlicensed operators. More than R50 billion ($3.1 billion) in gross gambling revenue leaves the country each year.
Online gambling remains prohibited in South Africa. Amendments passed in 2008 provided for a licensing framework but never came into force. Acting NGB chief executive Lungile Dukwana told parliament in June that national policy on interactive gambling has not been approved.
The contractor will be required to profile illegal sites — country of origin, licensing status, ownership — block them and pass information to law enforcement. The NGB is not planning a one-off sweep: it wants a standing system that can respond each time operators attempt to return.
The request does not guarantee a contract. The NGB is gathering proposals to inform the specification for a future tender. Dukwana called it 'market research'.
The Internet Service Providers' Association opposes administrative blocking. Chair Sasha Booth-Beharilal said any access restrictions must have clear legislative backing and judicial oversight. ISPA argues that domain-based blocks are easily circumvented, while IP-based blocking could affect hundreds of thousands of unrelated sites.
The NGB currently lists 90 illegal sites. All operate under foreign licences. Of 10 sites the regulator reported to Google Africa in 2024/25, none had been removed from search results at the time the minister answered parliament. SABA chair Sean Coleman backed the initiative but cautioned that blocking alone will not solve the problem — operators spin up mirror sites quickly.
