Making criminals out of honest men

Online gambling, banned.  Supply, distribution and consumption of online gambling services are now a criminal offence, with punishment of a not puny 10 years in jail or R10 million fine if caught breaking the law.

Not one single reason given by the government why it is doing this.  The state is getting so arrogant in protecting its own interests that it is just banning online gambling, no questions asked.

It should be obvious the reason the Gauteng Gambling Board has made online gambling illegal is that it wants to control the industry.  The state will force an oligopolistic market structure of a few big licensed gambling providers, the sole providers of gambling amenities to the people.

Easier to extort bribes, easier to collect taxes, easier to waste resources by building physical casinos.

Yet the government will continue to gamble with our economic futures as it partakes in the global paper currency experiment to reflate the global economic bubble.  Go figure.

Online gambling banned in South Africa

Fine of R10 million or ten years in jail for online casinos, individuals, including internet service providers and banks who process payments for online gamblers and individuals who gamble online

According to the Gauteng Gambling Board which has fought a long-running battle with online casinos, says its now illegal to gamble using digital products inside South Africa.

That’s after a North Gauteng High Court judgement on the jurisdiction of online gambling transactions in the country which was handed down on August 20th by Judge NB Tuchten.

The effect of this decision means both Internet operators who offer online gambling to South African residents for gain, and a player or punter who takes part in online betting, are guilty of breaking the law.

Furthermore, the ruling also makes Internet service providers accountable for the services and targets band and financial institutions that process the winners’ payments and betting transactions.

According to Gauteng Gambling Board head of legal services, Lucky Lukhwareni, online casinos are now up for prosecution.

“That’s why we approached the media to alert them of the judgement which makes online casino operations illegal, and if they continue we will have them arrested and fight for conviction.”

Those entities that advertise or facilitate the advertisement of online gambling including radio and television stations, print media, and outdoor advertising agencies will also face the law.

The Gauteng Gambling Board says it will pursue any person or organisation which contravene the gambling legislation.

Persons who are prosecuted and found guilty of breach or contravention of the gambling legislation could receive a fine of R10 million or ten years in jail or both.

No-one was available to respond to the ruling at Piggs’ Peak Online and an auto-reply machine repeatedly asked for the user’s ID number.

source

PS. Was just reading through the Gauteng High Court judgement document v Casino Enterprises, wherein on page 14, bullet point 34, gambling is defined as:

“The wagering of a stake of money or anything of value on the unknown result of a future event at the risk of losing all or a portion thereof for the sake of return, irrespective of whether any measure of skill is involved or not that encompasses all forms of gaming and betting..”

Fits the definition of entrepreneurship perfectly, doesn’t it?