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Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba
Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba has called on the government to introduce stricter regulations on gambling advertisements.
His call comes amid growing concern over the impact of gambling on vulnerable communities.
The National Gambling Board has reported that some people are using social grants, wages and student allowances for gambling and online betting.
Recent figures show that South Africa’s gambling industry reached R1.5 trillion in turnover.
Makgoba says urgent intervention is needed to address the issue.
“We can push this thing off. But the practical steps will be for the church to call for a cap on the frequency of TV ads from betting agencies, maybe at a fixed minimum, as we start. And this is not insurmountable; we did it with alcohol and cigarettes in the past. Now we know that in certain parts of the airport, you can’t smoke. So we need to start doing those things. We need to ban TV ads for betting from live sports broadcasts, as an example,” said Makgoba.
He says measures similar to those used to regulate alcohol and tobacco advertising should be considered.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba calls for a gambling ban or tighter regulation
In February 2026, the National Gambling Board (NGB) issued a formal notice confirming that Remote Gambling Servers (RGS) are not permitted under South African law.
The board says interactive and remote gambling remain unlawful unless authorised by national legislation. It has instructed provincial licensing authorities to prohibit the use and approval of RGS and ensure only certified systems are used.
Acting CEO Lungile Dukwana says, “The NGA has expressly prohibited interactive gambling until a legislative framework to regulate interactive gambling is developed and passed by the President.”
The NGB says enforcement action must be taken against non-compliant operators, and compliance will be monitored nationwide.
Surge in SA’s online betting market:
