Parliament, Wednesday, 21 February 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition today received a briefing from the National Gambling Board (NGB) on its first and second quarter performance for the 2023/24 financial year.
Committee Chairperson Ms Judy Hermans said the committee commended the NGB for obtaining its eighth clean audit, with no audit finding. “It is commendable and we are pleased with its overall performance,” she said.
The committee heard that R521.7 billion was wagered in the gambling industry in the 2023/24 financial year for quarter one and two. This total turnover was 41.4% higher than the value wagered during the first two quarters of the previous year. The committee further heard that betting wagering accounted for almost two-thirds of turnover, at 63.5%, and generated the highest amount of turnover in comparison with other gambling modes. Mpumalanga and the Western Cape generated the highest proportions of turnover, of around 30% each.
The committee also heard that the betting industry generated the largest share of gross gaming revenue (GGR) at 58.6%, followed by casinos at 30.5%. The betting industry generates almost half of gambling industry taxes/levies, at R1.1 million. GGR amounted to R28.2 billion during the period under review. Betting accounted for the highest GGR generated, at 59%, as compared to other gambling modes, followed by casinos at 30.5%. Provincially, the Western Cape and Gauteng accounted for the largest share of GGR. While Gauteng is still the second largest generator of GGR, its share has dropped significantly since the 2022/23 financial year, where it held 30.2%. At the same time, Mpumalanga’s share has increased from 13.8% to 20.8%.
According to the presentation, the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP) is a combination of nationwide public education around responsible gambling and a comprehensive treatment and counselling programme for problem gamblers who voluntarily enlist the help of treatment professionals at SARGF. The intended result is to treat and rehabilitate problem gamblers to become productive and responsible citizens. The NGB also indicated it held various initiatives to educate the public about illegal gambling, underage and illegal gambling and how to report it.
Ms Hermans said the committee is generally pleased with the performance of the NGB. She said the committee noted the input from the NGB that legislative reforms are required for, amongst others, online gambling, which is illegal in South Africa but is still rife.
South Africa has a National Gambling Policy in place to regulate and oversee the gambling industry. Key points of the National Gambling Policy include a regulatory authority, a legal framework, social responsibility and transformation objectives. Ms Hermans said the committee has noted concerns that the Gambling Policy Committee has not met since 2018. “The committee will request the Minister (of Trade, Industry and Competition) to urgently convene a meeting of that committee,” she concluded.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TRADE, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITION, MS JUDY HERMANS
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