The topic of online gambling sparks debate wherever you go. Questions surrounding the taboo attachment that gambling is saddled with hangs like a dark cloud over an activity that is designed for one thing alone, fun.Â
Many countries throughout Africa have implemented harsh laws, often aimed at individual players who engage in gambling activities online, and while some nations are worse than others, the reasons for these harsh consequences remain unknown.
In other continents, nations who instill heavy restrictions for online gambling take a far different approach, targeting online gambling operators ahead of the individual players themselves, which when thought about makes far more sense.
Coming back to Africa however, the online gambling legal situation in Uganda is one that many nations can take some inspiration from.
While the industry may be slightly under regulated, online gambling remains legal, partially due to the fact that the nation does not house too many land based casinos.
If we take a look at a more mature gambling and betting market such as South Africa, they have much to learn from the Ugandan approach.
Online gambling is strictly illegal in South Africa, and the law not only targets the operators who provide these services, but is also aimed at banks who oversee the transfers of winnings, and the players that are engaging in the games.
Shockingly, the consequences for engaging in such practices include 10 years imprisonment, or a R10 million fine, which translates to 2 495 030 590.19 Ugandan Shillings.
The only legal form of online gambling in the country is online sports betting and horse racing betting through registered betting sites in South Africa.
While the country has taken steps to legalise the sector, South Africa’s efforts seem to have hit a brick wall over a decade ago.
The South African government had plans to regulate more forms of gambling aside from online sports betting, and a task force was created to look into the matter, but no word has been provided since 2008.
What makes the issue more puzzling is the fact that the South African government stands to gain so much from legalising the industry. It is estimated that one in ten South Africans gamble, with gamblers on average spending an average of R150 (Almost 40 000 Ugandan Shillings) on gambling activities per month.
According to reports, there are four tenets that legalising any industry are based upon, which include Safety, Policing, Economic Significance, and Equitability. If we break these tenets down, all the work that is required comes from the South African government.
Safety in the gaming space is incredibly important, and the measure to ensure safety is support and correct marketing of the dangers of engaging in gambling activities, which exist in the nation. While efforts could always be buffered, the responsibility lies on the state to provide more support to ensure that players are kept safe.
The next important tenet is that of policing. This holds immense importance in the responsibility of operators, because they need to ensure that government have full access to their services to ensure that they are indeed playing legal ball.
Economic significance has already been touched on, with so many South Africans engaging in gambling activities, and equitability is already covered as many South Africans from a host of demographic groups engage in the practice.
As can be seen in this article, African betting giants South Africa have much to learn from their Ugandan counterparts when it comes to legislation and regulation.