A Johannesburg man is taking legal action against the National Gambling Board (NGB) after it withheld money he won through online gambling, the Saturday Star reported.<\/p>\n
“Any form of unlicensed online gambling in South Africa is prohibited and is a criminal offence,” NGB chief executive officer Baby Tyawa was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
He said the board had received a letter of demand from the gambler’s lawyers, but that it was unlikely he would get his R40,000 winnings.<\/p>\n
The man had won after placing a R20,000 bet on a United Kingdom gambling site.<\/p>\n
Tyawa said the money had been put into a trust account.<\/p>\n
The account, which is controlled by National Treasury, has around R3.5 million forfeited by other illegal online gamblers, the majority of them underage players.<\/p>\n
Tyawa warned that online gamblers could be fined R10,000 or face imprisonment if they are caught.<\/p>\n
He said many South Africans were unaware it was illegal.<\/p>\n
The NGB was working with all major local banks and the UK Gambling Commission to monitor South Africans who place bets online.<\/p>\n