South Africa’s National Gambling Board is moving forward with plans to build a permanent system for identifying and blocking illegal online gambling platforms, as the regulator looks for a specialist provider capable of monitoring offshore operators targeting local players.
The NGB launched an expression of interest on 30 June for a monitoring, blocking, tracking and reporting service. The process was subsequently amended in July, with the submission deadline extended from 7 August to 4 September 2026. The exercise is intended to assess available technology and expertise before the regulator decides whether to proceed with a formal procurement process.
NGB seeks continuous monitoring capability
Under the proposed model, the selected provider would continuously identify illegal gambling websites accessible to South African consumers and gather information about their location, licensing status and ownership.
Sites confirmed as operating without the required South African authorisation would then be targeted for blocking. The provider would also be expected to monitor previously restricted domains so that replacement or relaunched versions could be detected and addressed quickly.
Information gathered through the system would be passed to the NGB and law-enforcement agencies for further investigation and possible action against operators. The regulator says offshore businesses are particularly difficult to pursue because they operate from foreign jurisdictions while continuing to serve South African customers.
The NGB has linked the initiative to its responsibilities under the National Gambling Act, including assisting provincial authorities with the detection and suppression of unlicensed gambling. Unauthorised interactive gambling remains prohibited nationally, while legislation intended to establish a regulated interactive gambling framework has never been brought into force.
The current expression-of-interest process does not guarantee that a contract will be awarded. Instead, submissions will help the NGB determine the specifications and requirements that could be included in a later request for proposals or tender. Potential providers are also expected to explain their methodology, required partnerships and approvals, and how similar blocking systems have worked in other jurisdictions.
Illegal market estimated at more than half of online activity
The initiative comes amid growing concern about the scale of offshore gambling in South Africa. Research conducted by Yield Sec for the South African Bookmakers’ Association estimated that illegal operators account for around 62% of the country’s online gambling activity.
The research also estimated that more than R50 billion in gross gambling revenue leaves South Africa for illegal offshore operators each year, while approximately 16 million people had used such platforms during the preceding 12-month period. SABA has called for stronger enforcement against the sector and has supported the NGB’s decision to explore website blocking.
Existing NGB enforcement resources remain comparatively limited. A government response to a parliamentary question showed that the regulator allocated R596,000 during the 2025-26 financial year to identifying illegal gambling websites.
At the time of the response, the NGB database contained 90 gambling sites regarded as illegal in South Africa, all of which were operated by companies registered and licensed overseas. Ten websites were referred to Google Africa for removal from search results during 2024-25, but none had been removed when the government response was issued.
Internet providers question legal framework
The proposal has also raised concerns within South Africa’s telecommunications industry.
The Internet Service Providers’ Association argues that compulsory website blocking should not be introduced solely through administrative or regulatory instructions. It wants any system affecting internet access to operate under explicit legislation, with judicial oversight and safeguards protecting constitutional rights.
ISPA has also warned about the technical limitations of blocking. DNS-based restrictions can be bypassed relatively easily, while blocking individual IP addresses risks affecting unrelated websites that share the same infrastructure. More intrusive methods such as inspecting internet traffic would carry additional costs, performance implications and privacy concerns.
The association has therefore called for any future blocking obligations to be proportionate, temporary, transparent and backed by a clear mechanism for allocating implementation costs.
Despite those concerns, the NGB is continuing its procurement assessment as authorities look for more effective ways to restrict offshore operators that remain accessible after conventional enforcement measures.
The regulator has not committed to a final technical model or confirmed when a full blocking programme could begin. The results of the expression-of-interest process are expected to determine whether South Africa moves to a formal tender and what legal, technical and enforcement arrangements would be required for the system to operate.