TLDR
- South Africa issued 3,135 gambling licenses in 2024/2025, slightly down from 3,174 the previous year
- Most licenses went to limited payout machine sites and bookmakers across provincial boards
- Gauteng led with 753 licenses, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (596) and Western Cape (549)
- Police recorded 32,938 illegal gambling cases over five years but only 36 were online
- Lawmakers are calling for stronger coordination between national and provincial regulators
South Africa’s gambling industry is facing renewed scrutiny after parliamentary data revealed that more than 3,000 licenses are being approved each year.
The figures came from a written reply to Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana. The response showed that 3,135 gambling licenses were issued during the 2024/2025 financial year.
That number followed 3,174 licenses in 2023/2024 and 3,186 in 2022/2023. The consistently high figures have prompted questions about whether regulators can keep up.
Most of the approved licenses went to limited payout machine sites and bookmakers. These two categories remain the largest drivers of growth in the sector.
Licensing in South Africa is handled by provincial gambling boards. The data shows some provinces are far more active than others when it comes to approvals.
Gauteng led all provinces with 753 licenses issued in 2024/2025. KwaZulu-Natal came in second with 596, and the Western Cape followed with 549.
Provincial Oversight Gaps Draw Criticism
The reply was sent to Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau. Gana had written to the minister raising concerns about the rapid rise of bookmakers and how South Africa’s market stacks up against other countries.
Questions are now being raised about whether provincial boards have the resources to properly enforce rules. These include consumer protection standards, responsible gambling measures, and financial reporting requirements.
The concern is that enforcement varies widely depending on the province. Some boards are seen as having far more capacity and funding than others.
A separate parliamentary reply has added fuel to the debate. Police Minister responded to a question from Rise Mzansi MP Songezo Zibi with data on illegal gambling enforcement.
Police recorded 32,938 illegal gambling cases over the past five financial years. Almost all of those cases involved land-based operations.
Online Gambling Enforcement Remains a Challenge
Only 36 online gambling cases were logged in the same five-year period. Those cases led to just 39 arrests and 22 convictions.
The Police Minister explained that online investigations are difficult to carry out. Websites can appear and vanish quickly, making it hard to build cases.
Some prosecutions have collapsed after disputes over search warrants. This has made it even harder for authorities to crack down on illegal online operators.
The gap between land-based and online enforcement numbers has raised eyebrows. Critics say it shows that current tools are not equipped to deal with the digital side of gambling.
Lawmakers are now pushing for better coordination between national and provincial bodies. Proposals include improving how regulators share information across jurisdictions.
Other ideas on the table include tightening post-licensing checks. There are also calls to review the current regulatory framework to ensure enforcement keeps pace with the rate of licensing.
