There are a lot of changes going on in terms of legalization and regulation of online gambling today. More and more country officials are looking at the other side of the argument. Sure gambling brings in a lot of money, but is that enough to legalize it? Not all legislators are convinced that it does. Online gambling sites is estimated to be worth $4-billion right now and by 2017, that number should double. This is why it is such a highly-coveted market. Still- finding the different negatives to the game is something that legislators are looking at too.
They recognize how lucrative games are, but they also know that it opens the door to problems. South Africa is a country that is taking the conservative model on the games. Its Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeals just announced that online gambling is illegal. Its legislators have debated out the issues and feel that though it is a lucrative hobby, it isn’t worth the trouble to manage and maintain in coming years.
The appeals court was set to continue with the debates and make sure that they were making the best decision for the market. It has long been debated out whether or not this is a good idea for countries. Though this may not be the final word on the issue, it is the final word for now. That means that players in the country are going to have to make due with playing at land- based gaming locations or pulling out of the hobby altogether.
So far there have already been companies that have pulled out of the market. Betfair.com is a huge online gambling company that just announced it is no longer accepting players with IP addresses originating in South Africa. This is a sign of how companies are likely going to respond due to how big Betfair.com is. The company is a leader in the world of gambling and this move is a sign of where things are likely to go.
You can expect that smaller companies are now likely going to do the same due to the appeal court’s decision. Whether or not this is going to change in the future no one knows, but for now it is an end to online gambling in the country until further notice.