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Roulette

The game of roulette in the territory of African can be held permanently only in casinos games with a special license to operate. "Online roulette is under the state monopoly and private companies cannot make it available". The rules of offering roulette are regulated by the "act of 19 November 2009 on gambling", amended in 2020.

Important!

Private betting companies cannot legally offer online roulette in South Africa! For a list of legal bookmakers and their game offer click here:

List of legal bookmakers in South Africa

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Roulette:

  • the Gambling Act makes it clear that roulette belongs to those gambling games that cannot be offered over the Internet by private betting companies
  • online roulette is available only in casinos operating under the state monopoly
  • legal roulette is also available at numerous private land-based casinos
  • for participation in the illegal Game of roulette face very high penalties
Roulette - what can and what can not?

Allowed

  • playing roulette on the website of the only casino that has a monopoly on the African state
  • play roulette at one of the many legal land-based casinos in South Africa

Prohibited

  • play online roulette with legal bookmakers in South Africa (they can not offer roulette)
  • playing roulette at foreign (illegal in South Africa) bookmakers-although online roulette is available there, very high penalties are threatened for playing
  • playing roulette in land-based casinos that do not have the appropriate license (are illegal)

Important information about roulette

Roulette System? There are systems for playing roulette, but so far no system has been invented that ensures long-term winning. Playing roulette always involves a lot of risk.
Penalties for illegal roulette For the illegal Game of roulette face extremely high financial penalties, which can amount to several million dollars. Details can be found here
Types of roulette European Roulette, American roulette, French Roulette or roulette "without zero"are the most popular types of roulette. Each type of roulette game is characterized by slightly different rules

Key questions and answers

Is roulette legal in South Africa?

Yes, however, the game of roulette can be organized only by the State Sports Totalizator or by land-based (stationary) casinos. Private betting companies cannot organize roulette games. Bookmakers, on the other hand, provide special virtual games available on the Internet, which can be an alternative to other gambling games. To see sample virtual games click here.

Do legal bookmakers offer gambling games such as roulette?

No, because private betting companies cannot offer roulette games. This is African law. On the other hand, in the offer of legal bookmakers we will find the opportunity to place bets on blackjack, poker and war. Making bets on gambling games is not much different from directly participating in these games, because the games take place live, and the dealer conducting the game is visible live on the computer screen. In addition, in the offer of legal bookmakers there are also special virtual games. To learn about the legal gambling offer of BetFan bookmaker click here.

Do legitimate bookmakers offer bonuses to new players?

Yes, by creating a player account with a LEGAL bookmaker it is possible to receive special welcome bonuses. To view BetFan's Welcome Offer Click here. However, it should be remembered that although legal bookmakers offer many different gambling games, they do not offer the possibility of playing roulette.

Where can I find a list of legal bookmakers operating in South Africa?

The list of legal bookmakers is available by clicking on this link .

Roulette-legal situation in South Africa

Roulette is a typical casino game of Chance, modern versions of which have their origins in 17th-century France. It is currently the most popular game offered in casinos and has earned the title of "Queen of casinos". Roulette has different variations and can be played in a variety of ways, however in this article we will look at the legal issues involved with this game. We will explain where in South Africa the game of roulette is legal and how the situation of roulette in licensed casinos , besides them and whether online roulette is legal.

Roulette and gambling law

Although in the same "Act of 19 November 2009 on gambling" the word "roulette" does not fall once, it is this act that regulates the legality of organizing and participating in the game of roulette in South Africa. The Gambling Act contains provisions for cylindrical games, which include roulette. Cylindrical game , according to the definition adopted in the law, is a random game, which consists in selecting numbers (or other features) and is arranged using a rotating device, while the amount of winnings depends on the pre-accepted ratio of the bet to the win. So everything is correct, roulette meets the described conditions, therefore, every time the Gambling Act refers to cylindrical games, this provision also applies to roulette. At the same time, the legislator did not forget about the roulette game offered on the Internet – it is also affected by the adopted regulations.

It is worth mentioning that the Gambling Act was amended at the end of 2020, and the changes that came into force on 1 April 2021 radically changed the situation of gambling in South Africa. So let's take a look at the current situation of roulette in our country – where it can be played and what threats for participation in the game organized illegally. Let us first recall, however, that any gambling: roulette, poker , blackjack , slot machines , bookmakers etc. they are allowed only for adults, and therefore those players who are over 18 years of age .

Roulette in a land-based casino

As for playing in the traditional way, in South Africa only roulette organized by casinos licensed by the Minister of Finance . The law clearly specifies what conditions must be met in order to apply for a permit of this type. Moreover, the number of licenses issued is limited, i.e. the number of residents depends on how many casinos can operate in a given region. And yes, for every 250,000. residents of a given village can account for a maximum of 1 casino game, but an additional restriction applies to the province – for every 650 thousand. people also have an account for only 1 casino. In addition, the Ministry of Finance also issues concessions for operating casinos on ships and passenger ferries that have South Africa affiliation. However, the game in such casinos can only take place during the cruise and can start at the earliest 30 minutes after the departure, and finish no later than 30 minutes before the end of the cruise. As you can see, the use of casinos in South Africa is quite strongly restricted, if only because of their rather small number. Thus, roulette itself is not so easily accessible and especially players living in smaller towns may have a problem playing legal roulette. A full list of licensed land-based casinos can be found on the website of the Ministry of Finance.

Roulette online

After the legal changes, it may be unclear to some Whether online roulette is still legal. The amendment of the Gambling Act introduced very large changes in the scope of offering gambling on the Internet. Online casino is monopolized by an African state thus, all casino games (including roulette) can be legally organized only by a designated entity. The state Treasury company – Totalizator Sportowy which online casino conducts on a specially prepared website. In order to be able to play on the site for money, you need to go through the process creating a player account and be positively verified based on the scan of the identity document. There is also an option to play without registration, i.e. play roulette for free , thanks to which any unregistered user can check what online roulette looks like in a legal casino. In this case, however, it is a demo game, that is, without depositing funds and at the same time without the possibility of winning Real Money.

However, since online roulette is only legal through a sports betting site, What about other sites that offer different types of casino games? All of them operate illegally, and the Gambling Act provides specific solutions that serve to minimize the possibility of their operation in the African territory. Firstly illegal online casinos (same as non-licensed bookmakers) they are added to The "Register of domains used to offer gambling in violation of the law" . The so-called prohibited domain registry is not only an information service for players who want to check whether the game on a given website is legal. First of all, services added to the registry must be blocked by internet service providers within 48 hours of being listed. Payment service providers are also obliged to terminate cooperation with such gambling operators. Thus, the Register of prohibited domains limits the possibilities of functioning of illegal online casinos. Online roulette outside of the sports betting site is also very difficult in this way.

Illegal roulette-penalties and taxes

If, after all, a player decides to play roulette or another gambling game outside a legal land-based casino or on a website other than the monopolist's service, he must reckon with no small financial penalties . Mere participation in the game (regardless of whether the player was aware that it was illegal) is punishable by a penalty of 100% of the winnings, from which the stake is not deducted. However, if it is proved that the player knew that, for example, the online roulette in which he participated was organized by an illegal casino, the court can impose a separate fine on him. Its amount is determined individually and is up to a maximum of 120 daily rates, that is, for example, in 2023, in an extreme case, it can reach even more than $3.5 million. Of course, separate rules apply to penalties that are provided for people who illegally arrange gambling.

Finally, good news for those interested in this topic. Roulette belongs to a group of gambling games, which not applicable PIT tax . Winnings obtained in this way are exempt, moreover, the player does not need to specify the amount of winnings in the annual income statement. However, it is worth thinking about settling the formalities and ask the casino to issue certificates of winning . It will be useful in the case of inspection of the Tax Office.