A Johannesburg man is taking legal action against the National Gambling Board (NGB) after it withheld money he won through online gambling.
“Any form of unlicensed online gambling in South Africa is prohibited and is a criminal offence,” board CEO Baby Tyawa was quoted in the Saturday Star as saying.
He said the board had received a letter of demand from the gambler’s lawyers, but that it was unlikely he would get his R40 000 winnings.
The man had won after placing a R20 000 bet on a UK gambling site.
Tyawa said the money had been put into a trust account.
The account, which is controlled by national treasury, has around R3,5m forfeited by other illegal online gamblers, the majority of them underage players.
Tyawa warned that online gamblers could be fined R10 000 or face imprisonment if they are caught.
He said many South Africans were unaware it was illegal.
The National Gambling Board was working with all major local banks and the UK Gambling Commission to monitor South Africans who place bets online. — Sapa
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