Pretoria - The Supreme Court of Appeal's decision to dismiss Casino Enterprises' appeal, which trades as Piggs Peak, is affirmation of South Africa's stringent laws on regulating the gambling sector, said the National Gambling Board (NGB).
"The activities of Piggs Peak to offer South Africans access to online gambling in flagrant disregard of the laws of the country could be construed as a transgression of the country's gambling legislative prescripts.
"This outcome will strengthen the arm of the law as well as those of gambling regulators who are mandated by Government to protect members of the public from exposure to illegal gambling activities which proliferate the market," said the board on Wednesday.
The Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed that Casino Enterprises has no licence to conduct a gambling business in SA, even if it operated from Swaziland, where the company holds a licence.
The NGB said there was a need for gambling regulators and authorities to deal with the effects of the growth of online gambling. It added that illegal gambling activities that took away opportunities for the country to generate revenue will be shut down. Entities found to be offering this will be blacklisted and not be allowed to operate in the country.
"Every country has its regulated processes and South Africa is no exception. Conversely, we are aware of the growing internet penetration as well as the increasing access to social media as indicated in the 2010 All Media Product Survey. This also indicates that access to insecure online gambling sites is inevitable," said NGB CEO Baby Tyawa.
The Banking Association, Reserve Bank and merchant dealers will work together to ensure that those who take part in illegal activities are prosecuted.
"In the meantime, we all have to abide by the decisions of the courts," said the NGB.
