Online Poker Banned in South Africa

August 31 - The South African online poker industry was left in the lurch last week after a high court ruling, in one sweep, made it illegal to gamble online in the country.

After the ruling by the North Gauteng High Court, the Gauteng Gambling Board came out with a statement saying that "we approached the media to alert them of the judgment which makes online casino operations illegal, and if they continue we will have them arrested and fight for conviction."

Anybody who is found playing online poker games or casino games online, or anyone found offering these services, faces a R10 million (£880K) fine and/or 10 years in prison.

The laws come into effect immediately and ISP's will be responsible for stopping South Africans from accessing gambling sites.

Financial institutions will also be prohibited from processing transactions to and from gaming sites, in laws similar to those found in the United States (more specifically, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act).

The South African media has also been banned from advertising any form of online gambling or online poker.

The government is expecting the findings of a key report on internet gaming that is due from its Trade and Industry Ministry, but in the meantime, the high court stepped in with its own ruling on the issue.

The online gambling industry in South Africa is worth up to R1 billion.

A 2008 bill, the National Gambling Amendment Bill, made proposals to regulate, license and tax the gambling industry in South Africa.

It remains to be seen how all these proposals, that are currently up in the air, will affect the recent ruling by the Gauteng High Court, and whether South Africans will be able to enjoy online poker again in the near future.