Thabiso Goba18 March 2025 | 13:19

Maile says Gauteng developing legislation to tax online gambling companies

Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile said that a draft amendment of the Gauteng Gambling Act had already been drawn up.

Maile says Gauteng developing legislation to tax online gambling companies

From left: Mncedisi Vilakazi, Deputy Director General of Gauteng Treasury; Lebogang Maile, Gauteng Finance MEC and Ncumisa Mnyani, Gauteng Treasury Head of Department. Picture: Thabiso Goba/Eyewitness News

JOHANNESBURG - Online gambling companies operating in Gauteng may soon have to start paying taxes.

Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile announced that the administration was developing legislation to impose a tax on these companies.

Maile tabled the 2025/2026 provincial budget in the Gauteng Legislature on Tuesday.

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One of the few ways the Gauteng government makes money is by approving licences to companies that want to conduct gambling or other related activities.

However, this only applies to gambling companies situated in actual buildings and not online ones.

Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile said that a draft amendment of the Gauteng Gambling Act had already been drawn up.

"So that we are able to regulate online gambling. People are making a lot of money gambling and unfortunately, most of those punters are from Gauteng and we're not getting the tax that’s due to us."

Research by the National Gambling Board revealed that 80% of all betting revenue last year came from online sources.