Ladbrokes Sportsbook Bets on South African Internet Gambling License

Posted: September 21, 2010

Updated: October 4, 2017

Despite the recent ruling in a Gauteng High Court that essentially made Internet gambling in South Africa illegal, Ladbrokes online sportsbook remains

Despite the recent ruling in a Gauteng High Court that essentially made Internet gambling in South Africa illegal, Ladbrokes online sportsbook remains positively bullish on the country and seeks to be doing business there within the next six to seven months

On Thursday, Ladbrokes CEO Victor Chandler told media in a statement that his company “expects” to receive a license to provide an online casino in South Africa in 2011. The following day, a Ladbrokes source told industry publication e-Gaming Review that its proposed joint venture with Africa-based casino group KaiRo would be receiving a license from Western Cape authorities by the end of October and would supply an online sportsbook in South Africa “by early 2011.”

Though the Gauteng ruling appears to be completely restrictive in all real senses, the court did not rule out the possibility of a legally licensed operator doing gambling business in South Africa – It’s just that the South African government so rarely issues those licenses...

Meanwhile, the South African Gambling Review Commission’s delay to the report on opportunities to regulate the country’s online gambling market long expected by trade and industry minister Rob Davies is now reportedly up. No word on when that report will actually be delivered has been uttered, however.