South Africa Cleaning House?
That is certainly what it looks like. And the timing just couldn’t be any better if it had been planned this way. What’s going on here? Start with the Big African Summit and Exhibition that is happening, right now. From October 6 to October 8 to be exact at The Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg. This event is all about the planned development of online gambling regulations.
Now add in recent news from the Department of Trade and Industry. You may have seen the news releases about Minister Rob Davies. In what looks like a sign of good things to come for online gambling in South Africa, Minister Davies struck a blow for an entirely new gambling perspective when he suddenly and without warning suspended the National Gambling Board.
Interestingly, Minister Davies suspended the entire board, not just a single member. So far the Department of Trade and Industry has not released any specific reasons for the suspension. The only consistent language released so far mentions forensic investigations.
A spokesperson for the Department of Trade and Industry, SilwellMedupe did release a partial statement about the forensic nature of the suspension. He was quoted as saying that “ the forensic investigation will mainly cover the assets of the National Gambling Board….we are unable to say how long this will take…”
Ouch! So much for the National Gambling Board, at least the current members at any rate. Yet, smart online casino fans will see this as a huge step forward. At a time when online casinos and online gambling is becoming embraced by state and local governments around the world, a country like South Africa will be best served by this sort of action.
Whatever the Department of Trade and Industry finds during their forensic investigation, the fact remains that online gambling is coming and it’s coming soon. To make way for the new online casino world, sometimes you have to take out the trash first. You know how the saying goes; out with the old, in with the new.
So the bottom line is this. South Africa is on the verge of taking a bold step forward by embracing the online casino world. Minister Davies did his part by taking steps to make sure the National Gambling Board and it’s members are held accountable for their actions. Kudos to the Minister for boldly taking action.