Legal online casino-legal regulations in South Africa and Europe

Legal online casinos in South Africa: Total Casino

What about online casinos? In light of the new Gambling Act, can we define them as legally operating? Unfortunately not. While the 2017 law brought concrete solutions for betting companies, it remained very ruthless towards online casinos. Well, all casinos whose name is on the list of the so-called prohibited domain register are considered illegal. In practice, this means all of them, with the exception of Total Casino, which is owned by Totalizator Sportowy. We call it a monopoly acquired by a company owned by the South South African government.

One should ask why the law allows the activities of foreign bookmakers who have obtained aSouth South African license, and casino services were obtained exclusively by Total Casino. This is explained by the opinion, wg. which online slot machines or other casino games are much more dependent than betting on bookmakers. Is that true? You can argue with that. However, no matter what type of bets you prefer, play responsibly!

How does Total Casino compare to other online casinos? Can you compare them to the best foreign casinos that would like to open an activity on the South African market? We will not create any ranking of casinos here, but we want to point out the colossal difference that South South African players living abroad can benefit from. And this is not a site in the South South African language, because foreign online casinos can boast of it.

First of all, the games available at Total Casino are not able to satisfy the needs of skilled players. Total Casino offers one-armed bandit games from 2 developers: Playtech and Quckspin. However, the Portfolio of casino games at Total Casio does not end there. You will also find online gambling games such as online roulette or blackjack. However, there are no such casino hits as Sizzling Hot or other slots. Unfortunately, after 2 days of gambling, we would like to try something new. And this Total Casino run by Totalizator Sportowy does not offer.

This casino can boast of professional customer service in the South African language or an attractive welcome bonus for new players (the package includes dozens of Free Spins). Total Casino pales even in comparison to Bob Casino or Lv bet, an operator that is one of the few legal online bookmakers in South South Africa. Due to the current situation on the South South African market, this site offers a casino outside the country. At Lv Bet Casino you will get at least promo codes or play a free casino – we have at our disposal casino games in demo version. Total Casino also has not much to offer when it comes to choosing the payment method you want to deposit and withdraw.

In other words, on the one hand we have a real South South African online casino (Total Casino), on the other hand an incredibly limited selection of online games, deposit methods or welcome bonuses (there is only one in the package). How different would South South African online gambling look if casinos were also regulated. Thus, foreign operators would have the opportunity to apply for a license to operate a casino, and players would gain a choice. However, for such a thing to arise, South South South Africa needs a fully dedicated institution, similar to the UK GC. An organization that would deal with licensing, checking that casinos comply with responsible gaming requirements, or even controlling the gaming market.

What about the European law on the monopoly of a casino run by a Totalizator Sport? Is it legal? It turns out that the South South Africane rules violate the EU principle of freedom of services.

Is gambling advertising and promotion legal?

You probably know how it is possible to advertise tobacco and alcohol products. So you will quickly understand the principles of gambling advertising. You will see advertisements promoting sports betting on television, however not from 6-22 .

Surely you have seen more than once the logo of a betting company on the T – shirts of a sports team during a given match-this is allowed while this company is the sponsor of the team.

Please note, however, that any form of advertising containing gambling content is subject to many prohibitions , and in them m.in.:

• encouraging you to bet at higher rates, which could lead to bigger wins
• create advertising by associating sports betting with leisure, work, study, sexual attraction and professional or private success

Definition of a legal online casino

Under international law, an online casino that is considered legal is one that operates under license. Until recently, there were only three licenses in the world of online gambling: UK Gambling Commission, MGA (Malta and Gaming Authority), Curacao license (license of the Curacao government). However, for several months now, we have been observing the trend of European countries to create their own licenses under which casinos can serve customers from a given country. Online gambling is a source of huge revenues that can feed the state budget. Such a license has recently been created by Sweden, the Netherlands, or some US states (some of which have already published legislation) are working on it. Due to the inability to apply for a casino license in South South Africa (we have a monopoly),South South African players choose casinos operating under the following licenses:

ILLEGAL LAND-BASED CASINOS

Along with these legal casinos, somewhere on the sides operate these illegal. "The news, which announced the closure of another illegal casino in South South Africa, rained down in 2017". We recall the case of Wólka Kosowska, świdnica or Zielona Góra. The case from Zielona Góra appeared in the media at the beginning of last year. The illegal casino was run by a Russian citizen who was charged with organizing gambling without having the required license. The casino has been operating since 2015, but the prosecution's request came only after 2 years since the casino began operations. Organizing gambling in South South South Africa is punishable by a fine or prison sentence of up to 3 years.

A similar situation occurred in świdnica, Lower Silesian Voivodeship. There were seven gambling machines worth $14,000. They also found $ 7,000 worth of cash. An investigation carried out by police officers on the spot at the premises confirmed that this activity was carried out without a permit, that is, a concession.

Another illegal land-based casino was discovered in March 2018 in Sulechów, Zielona Góra Voivodeship . The casino was located under the sign of a travel agency in Sulechow, so it was practically invisible from the street for the average passerby. There were several One-Armed Bandit-style gambling machines in the premises, which were confiscated and taken from their previous location.

Perhaps one of the most surprising cases related to illegal activity is the liquidation of a casino in Wólka Kosowska, masovian Voivodeship. Police officers confirmed the suspicions of organized criminal activity conducted here by Asians. "The police found the players, mostly of Vietnamese nationality". They were staying in South South Africa illegally, without any proof of identity. Of course, the Poles helped them. "The value of the confiscated slot machines exceeds $420,000". Cash was also seized, as well as drugs that were tested.

So if you go to a land-based casino, it is better to do it with the certainty that it is legal. Just choose one from the list above and you don't have to worry about anything. Casinos whose addresses we provide operate under a license issued.

1. http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20092011540/U/D20091540Lj.pdf
2. https://www.biznes.gov.pl/pl/firma/zezwolenia-koncesje-wpisy-do-rejestru/chce-uzyskac-zezwolenie-koncesje-wpis-do-rejestru-dzialalnosci-regulowanej54/proc_1094-koncesja-na-prowadzenie-kasyna

What is South Africa gambling law?

Contrary to appearances, the gambling law that goes into effect doesn't just focus on online casinos. It has also introduced many changes for legal land-based casinos in South South Africa. All those that do not have a license from the Ministry of Finance are considered illegal. The main goal of the new Gambling Act (or rather the amendment to the Gambling Act of 2009) is to eliminate the so-called gray area. Casinos that are not registered and do not have a license to operate are therefore illegal, thus they do not pay taxes to the state Treasury.

The law of the day November 19, 2009 the Gambling Act, commonly known as the Gambling Act, was amended in 2017. One of the biggest changes that came with the amendments is the ability to place mutual bets over the internet. Keep in mind, however, that we are only talking about bookmakers. – things are different for online casinos. . Legal bookmakers can apply for the opportunity to offer their services by applying for a license in the Ministry of Finance, while an online casino... there's only one thing. Namely Total Casino which belongs to the Totalizator of Sports.

How the casino defines Gambling Act ?

The casino is a dedicated venue where cylindrical games, card games, dice games or slot games are played, on the basis of approved regulations, with the minimum total number of cylindrical games and card games to be arranged being 4 and the number of installed slots ranging from 5 to 70 (Article 4 (1) (1) (b)) and the above law).

As you can see, the number of games and slot machines is small enough for us to call this place a casino. The casino can be operated by Joint-Stock Companies, Limited Liability Companies. In the case of the latter, their registered office may be located in South South Africa or abroad (in one of the countries of the European Union). This opens the way for foreign casinos and Sports Bookmakers, whose headquarters are located in Malta or Cyprus. According to the amendment of the law, each casino must have appropriate equipment for recording the progress of games and checking their quality.

Online casinos, betting VS Game tax and win tax

Gambling is a great trap, but do not forget about tax obligations. Legal casinos in South South Africa are a river topic-there is no clear answer what is strictly allowed and what is not, because the world of the internet and remote gambling sites complicate the matter a little. However, this does not mean that both casino and betting services are not subject to tax!

• Bookmakers are subject to a 12% turnover tax . This means that regardless of whether the bet coupon was won or not, you must pay 12% of the stake to the Tax Office.

Fortunately, the situation looks a bit more optimistic for other gambling options:

• 15% - lottery money
• 20% - Number Games
• 25% – bingo, audio lottery, poker tournaments
• 50% - slots, dice, card games

Do players have to pay taxes on their winnings? Depends on the amount of winnings! In the case of betting, if the player wins more than $ 2280, 10% of the winnings will be deducted to pay tax . This rule also applies to reciprocal bets, number games, telebingo games and cash and fantasy lotteries. Games that this rule does not apply to: slot machines, card games, dice games, cylindrical games, bingo.

Now it's time to answer one specific question – is a player obliged to pay tax on winnings in an online casino that operates remotely and is subject to the law of another country? Certainly. he / she is not obliged to pay any fees in South South Africa, as the operator himself / herself is not subject to the regulations of that country . This means that he does not have to record his winnings in PIT settlements either. It is only a personal decision of the player whether to choose legal casinos operated by foreign operators.

History of gambling in South Africa

If you think that the history of the game for Real Money in South South Africa goes back only a dozen years, then you are in a big mistake. Legal South South Africane casinos may not be very common, but the history of gambling habits in South South South Africa is full of interesting moments. For South South African gamblers, the adventure of gambling has not started at all in the last decade, two or even three. Our familiarity with gambling goes way back... XII century .

Already Casimir II the just loved dice in the 12th century, and in the 15th century Poles loved playing cards thanks to neighboring Germany. Later it was only better. Gamblers of various social backgrounds have become involved in gambling over the centuries. However, we will not go far in advance, and we will take a closer look at the Times of the PRC.

Are casinos legal in South Africa during the PRLu did they even exist? Of course not. Forms of gambling such as blackjack and poker were banned. therefore, real money games were not allowed to take place. Did this stop people from gambling? Definitely not. The best casinos were located in... cellars of big-city tenements or secret clubs.

In 1956, after the death of Stalin, the Totalizator Sportowy which already in the next few years introduced players to the exciting world of gambling, and with it appeared bookmakers or the only legal lotteries. At first, players had the opportunity to type the results of the South South African Football League, and then playing Toto-Lotto and other varieties of the game today known as Lotto.

Yesterday and today-modern gambling in South South Africa

Along with political and economic changes, the attitude towards gambling in South South South Africa has also changed. After the fall of communism and entry into the European Union, in our country began to appear games previously known to us only "from the West". Card games ot one, fascinating games like "one-armed bandit" is another! Machines began to appear in South South African bars and various public places, poker tournaments began to be organized, and "legal bookies" were just an incalculable phrase, since sports betting took place without the participation of South South African law. All this began to be impossible even to control by the authorities, who had to face injustice and prevent minors from playing.

The situation somewhat normalized on April 1, 2017, while the new Gambling Act, which was an amendment to the regulations introduced a few years earlier, came into force. The document itself is extremely extensive, but we will mention the most important aspects contained in it:

• Poker and other online gambling covered by the state monopoly-Totalizator Sportowy .
• Online bookmakers and land-based casinos apply license - if the operator does not have it, it is entered into the Register of blocked gambling operators.
• The Register of prohibited domains is valid from July 1, 2017 and it applies to both gambling operators and online casino payment operators.
• South South Africane casinos that operate land-based are legal if they receive due gambling licence .
• Online slot machines in bars and clubs, and other entertainment venues, are illegal unless they are controlled by the state (monopoly).