South Africa's NGB revises EOI to block illegal gambling websites
South Africa’s National Gambling Board (NGB) has launched a formal Expression of Interest (EOI) process to identify a specialist service provider capable of monitoring, tracking, blocking and reporting illegal online gambling activities targeting South African consumers.
The initiative forms part of the regulator’s efforts to strengthen enforcement against unlicensed interactive gambling, which it says continues to operate in violation of the National Gambling Act (NGA) of 2004. Through the procurement process, the NGB intends to appoint a provider with the technical expertise to identify illegal gambling websites, block access to them and generate intelligence that can support future investigations and enforcement action.
The revised EOI gives interested service providers until 4 September 2026 at 12:00 Central African Time (CAT) to submit their applications. The exercise is intended to shortlist qualified bidders before the regulator launches a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or tender process.
Four-part strategy to strengthen enforcement
Under the procurement document, the selected service provider will be required to deliver a comprehensive solution covering four key functions.
The first is monitoring, which requires continuous monitoring of internet traffic from illegal gambling websites targeting South Africans. Providers must profile these operators by identifying their country of origin, licence status and ownership details.
The second function is blocking, requiring identified illegal websites to be blocked to prevent them from continuing operations within South Africa.
The third is reporting, under which intelligence gathered from monitoring activities must be submitted to the NGB to support further investigations and criminal enforcement by law enforcement agencies.
The fourth function is tracking, requiring continuous monitoring of blocked websites so that any sites that reappear under new domains or addresses can be blocked again without delay. The NGB says the service is intended to strengthen its enforcement capabilities and protect both the regulated gambling industry and the public from illicit gambling markets.
Explaining the objective of the project, the procurement document states: “The NGB wishes to find a service provider who will block these websites and provide data intelligence on these operators for further enforcement actions.”
Illegal gambling remains a growing challenge
The regulator says illegal gambling has expanded rapidly across both land-based and online markets due to technological advances, policy gaps and organised criminal activity.
According to the EOI, unlawful gambling operations threaten public safety, undermine the integrity of South Africa’s regulated gambling market, reduce provincial and national revenues and expose vulnerable groups, including minors and problem gamblers, to gambling-related harm.
The document notes that many offshore operators now use online platforms, internet cafés, digital wallets, cryptocurrency transactions and cross-border jurisdictional loopholes to avoid regulatory oversight while continuing to target South African consumers. Licensed operators are also affected by unlawful competition from websites operating outside the country’s regulatory framework.
Industry research commissioned by the South African Bookmakers Association estimates that illegal operators account for around 62 per cent of South Africa’s online betting market, attracting approximately 16 million users and generating more than R50 billion (US$3 billion) in gross gambling revenue each year.
According to the regulator, illegal operators not only deprive the government of tax revenue but also expose consumers to gambling platforms that operate outside South African law and consumer protection requirements.
National Gambling Act provides legal foundation
The NGB said the initiative is supported by its statutory responsibilities under the National Gambling Act, 2004. Established as a Schedule 3A public entity under the Public Finance Management Act, the regulator is mandated under Sections 33, 34, 65 and 66 of the National Gambling Act to assist provincial licensing authorities in detecting and prosecuting unlicensed gambling activities and to promote gambling in a legal, safe and crime-free environment.
The EOI also highlights that Section 11 of the Act prohibits unauthorised interactive gambling unless specifically permitted by national legislation. It notes that no legislation has been enacted to legalise interactive gambling and that the continued operation of unlicensed interactive gambling therefore contravenes both Section 11 and Section 8 of the Act, which prohibits unlicensed gambling activities.
The procurement document further states: “South Africa is facing serious challenges in combatting illegal interactive gambling offering to South Africans. The enforcement challenge is exacerbated by the offshore location of these illegal operators, as they are coming from foreign jurisdictions.”
Providers must demonstrate international experience
Beyond technical capability, the NGB is asking bidders to demonstrate how similar website-blocking services have worked in other jurisdictions.
Applicants are required to benchmark their proposed solutions against international models and provide observations, findings and recommendations on website blocking. They must also identify any potential revenue generation opportunities within their proposed models that could contribute to the long-term sustainability of the service.
As part of the EOI process, shortlisted providers will also be required to demonstrate how their proposed solutions would operate in South Africa. They must explain their implementation methodology, identify any stakeholder partnerships required, outline the approvals and licences needed to operate in the country and describe how they intend to address the enforcement challenges currently faced by the NGB.
The regulator said interested companies must submit a company profile, evidence of relevant experience, tax clearance documentation where applicable and any relevant certifications or licences. The EOI will be used to identify suitable candidates before the NGB proceeds with a formal Request for Proposal or tender process.
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