South Africa seeks partner to block illegal gambling sites
South Africa’s National Gambling Board (NGB) has launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) to appoint a specialist service provider to deliver a monitoring, tracking, blocking and reporting solution aimed at detecting and preventing illegal online gambling activities targeting South African consumers, as the regulator steps up efforts to curb unlicensed gambling activity and strengthen enforcement across the country.
The initiative, set out in the National Gambling Board’s Expression of Interest (EOI) document issued on 30 June 2026, seeks a specialist service provider to identify illegal gambling websites targeting South African consumers, block those websites and provide data intelligence to support further enforcement action.
The regulator said illegal gambling has become an increasing threat to the integrity of South Africa’s regulated gambling industry, with unlicensed operators exploiting digital technologies and jurisdictional loopholes to reach local consumers.
Under the EOI, the NGB is inviting qualified service providers to propose a monitoring, tracking, blocking and reporting solution designed to detect and prevent illegal online gambling activities. The NGB has scheduled a virtual briefing session for prospective bidders on 15 July 2026 at 11:00 Central African Time (CAT), with Expressions of Interest due by 7 August 2026 at 12:00 CAT under reference 01/2026_ED.
Technology-led enforcement against illegal gambling
According to the procurement document, the NGB is seeking a provider capable of monitoring internet traffic from illegal gambling websites targeting South Africans, profiling operators by identifying their country of origin, licence status and ownership details, and reporting this information to the regulator to facilitate investigations by law enforcement agencies.
The selected provider will also be responsible for blocking identified websites and continuously tracking them to ensure they are blocked again if they reappear under different domains or addresses.
Explaining the purpose of the procurement, the document states: “The NGB wishes to find a service provider who will block these websites and provide data intelligence on these operators for further enforcement actions.”
The regulator said the initiative is intended to address one of its biggest enforcement challenges, namely the growing number of offshore gambling operators that continue to offer gambling services to South Africans without holding local licences.
The document states: “South Africa is struggling to enforce against illegal interactive gambling offering gambling activities to South Africans without a licence.” It adds that the enforcement challenge is exacerbated because many illegal operators are based in foreign jurisdictions beyond the immediate reach of South African authorities.
Illegal gambling threatens regulated market
The EOI document outlines the legal framework underpinning the initiative. The NGB, established under the National Gambling Act (NGA) of 2004 as a Schedule 3A public entity in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, is mandated under Sections 33, 34, 65 and 66 of the National Gambling Act to assist provincial licensing authorities in detecting and prosecuting unlicensed gambling activities. The regulator said its objective is to promote gambling in a legal, safe and crime-free environment while protecting consumers from gambling-related harm.
The document also notes that Section 11 of the National Gambling Act specifically prohibits unauthorised interactive gambling unless permitted by national legislation. It states that no law has been passed, nor has the Act been amended, to legalise interactive gambling, meaning the continued proliferation of illegal interactive gambling contravenes both Section 11 and Section 8 of the Act, which prohibits unlicensed gambling activities.
According to the regulator, illegal gambling has expanded rapidly in both land-based and online markets, fuelled by technological advances, policy gaps and organised criminal activity. It says these unlawful operations threaten public safety, undermine the integrity of the regulated gambling industry, erode provincial and national revenues and expose vulnerable groups, including minors and problem gamblers, to significant harm.
The document further states that illegal operators increasingly exploit online platforms, internet cafés, digital wallets, cryptocurrency transactions and cross-jurisdictional loopholes to evade detection and regulatory oversight. At the same time, licensed operators face unfair competition from unlawful online betting activities that undermine the fairness of the regulated market.
Procurement forms first stage of process
The NGB said the Expression of Interest is intended to prequalify service providers before a formal Request for Proposals or tender process is launched.
Potential bidders will be required to demonstrate how their website-blocking solutions would operate in South Africa and explain their implementation methodology, stakeholder partnerships, required approvals and licensing arrangements, as well as how they intend to address the enforcement challenges currently facing the regulator. They must also indicate whether their proposed models could generate sustainable revenue streams.
The procurement document further requires bidders to benchmark their proposed solutions against similar website-blocking initiatives implemented in other jurisdictions and provide their observations, findings and recommendations.
According to the document, websites should be blocked each time illegal operators attempt to offer gambling services to South African consumers. The intelligence gathered through the monitoring system will be shared with law enforcement agencies to ensure illegal online gambling operators are held accountable in court and face penalties envisaged under the National Gambling Act. The regulator said the service is intended to strengthen its enforcement efforts and protect both the South African gambling industry and the public from illicit gambling markets.
Part of wider regulatory efforts
The EOI comes after several regulatory initiatives by the NGB during 2026. These include the launch of the Verified Gambling Operators portal earlier this year and consumer warnings issued ahead of the FIFA World Cup about illegal online gambling platforms and counterfeit betting applications.
The latest initiative also follows discussions held on 24 June before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition, where NGB chief executive Lungile Dukwana said the regulator had engaged with the National Gambling Policy Council on several policy issues relating to online gambling.
Dukwana said the board had prepared a report identifying areas requiring further consideration, including the regulation of online gambling, betting exchanges and historical loss tracing. He also identified the flow of gambling revenue to offshore websites operating outside South Africa’s regulatory framework as one of the regulator’s primary concerns, noting that these operators do not contribute gambling taxes or levies locally and are not subject to the same consumer protection obligations as licensed operators.
During the parliamentary committee meeting, Dukwana said the NGB was also concerned about the growing visibility of online gambling advertising across multiple media channels. He said discussions were underway on stricter advertising controls, including restrictions on when gambling advertisements may be displayed and measures to address misleading promotional content. Research presented to lawmakers also pointed to harmful gambling behaviours, including gambling with borrowed money and reported cases involving social grant funds.
The NGB said its engagement with the National Gambling Policy Council is intended to address regulatory gaps and consider future policy responses as South Africa continues reviewing the regulation of online gambling.
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