Gambling law clauses suspended for year

Clauses in the gambling regulations for South Africa’s Western Cape province have been suspended for a year by a court order.

The High Court in the province declared some of the clauses null pending the receipt of public comments for a proposed new gambling bill that need to be considered before fresh legislation is put into place.

Tsogo Holdings, a major casino operator, had applied for the amendment of its Caledon and Mykonos casino licences so that they could operate in the Cape metropolitan area.

The regulatory authority, the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, said that it was not competent to consider an application to relocate a casino licence. It noted that the relief would lead to “cannibalism in the industry.”