
National Treasury proposes 20% national tax on online gambling revenue.
Loading player...
GUEST: Mpho Legote, Director for VAT & Subnational Tax, National Treasury
South Africa’s online gambling boom has exploded and so have the risks.
National Treasury has proposed a new 20% national tax on online gambling revenue, on top of existing provincial levies pushing the total burden to as high as 29%. The goal? To curb rising addiction and the social fallout from always-on, anywhere-accessible betting.
The tax could raise more than R10 billion, but Treasury insists this is not about revenue, it’s about discouraging harmful gambling behaviour and closing regulatory gaps in a sector where technology is moving faster than the law.
South Africa’s online gambling boom has exploded and so have the risks.
National Treasury has proposed a new 20% national tax on online gambling revenue, on top of existing provincial levies pushing the total burden to as high as 29%. The goal? To curb rising addiction and the social fallout from always-on, anywhere-accessible betting.
The tax could raise more than R10 billion, but Treasury insists this is not about revenue, it’s about discouraging harmful gambling behaviour and closing regulatory gaps in a sector where technology is moving faster than the law.

