SAPS and NW Gambling Board Collaborate To Fight Illegal Gambling Operations
Destruction of illegal gambling machines to combat and curb illegal gambling in the North West
The Board has, in terms of the provisions of section 31 of the National Gambling Act, 2004 (Act No.7 of 2004), as amended, the responsibility to ensure that unlawful activities related to casinos, racing, gambling and wagering and unlicensed gambling activities are prevented or detected and prosecuted.
ROLE OF INSPECTORS
The Board has appointed inspectors for purposes of law enforcement on unlicensed entities in the North West Province. The inspectors are charged with identification of unlicensed gambling entities, lodging criminal cases with the South African Police Service against the identified unlicensed gambling operators and issue offence notices to the unlicensed gambling operators with an option of admitting to their guilt and pay admission of guilt fines as provided for in terms of section 56 of the Criminal Procedure Act, No.51 of 1977 as amended (“the Criminal Procedure”).
However, in 2006, the Constitutional Court declared the powers of the inspectors to be unconstitutional. This resulted in the Board being highly reliant on the South African Police Service in clamping or managing unlicensed gambling in the province and in order to address the challenge the current North West Gambling Act needs to be amended accordingly.
NUMBER OF ILLEGAL GAMBLING SITES
The Board has identified sixty (60) unlicensed gambling entities in the four (4) districts of the province as follows:
CONFISCATED EQUIPMENT
The Board is currently housing three hundred and twenty-seven (327) gambling machines and one hundred and twenty-six (126) computer screens in a secured location. These equipment in the event the aforementioned illegal gambling sites are not prosecuted, would be destroyed.
The Board received a disposal order for three hundred (300) gambling machines on 15 September 2021. The machines will be destroyed once all logistics have been taken care of by the Board and the Police.
ILLEGAL GAMBLING PREMISES CLOSED WITH ASSISTANCE AND INTERVENTION OF SAPS
CHINESE ROULETTE CONFISCATED WITH ASSISTANCE AND INTERVENTION OF SAPS
2021/22 CASES LODGED WITH SAPS AND OFFENCE NOTICES ISSUED
There are fifty-seven (57) cases lodged with the SAPS and notices issued between the 1st April and 31st December 2021 as follows:
CASES PENDING PROSECUTION
There are fourteen (14) cases awaiting prosecution.
The North West Gambling Board Law Enforcement department and the South African Police Services had joint operations in combating illegal gambling and confiscated numerous illegal and unlicensed gambling machines in the Bojanala Platinum District municipality.
Most perpetrators were fined R2 5000 each and even though they pay the fine machines will not be returned to them as they have contravened section 82(1)(xi) of the North West Gambling Act, 2001 (Act No.2 of 2001), as amended which does not allow any person to be in possession of gambling machines without an appropriate license or registration.
From May – July 2022, Fifty six (56) cases were opened as well as notices issued against illegal gambling operators. Seventy (70) illegal gambling machines were confiscated in tuckshops in various areas in the Bojanala area.
Below are achievements to date by the Law Enforcement units:
Destruction of illegal gambling machines to combat and curb illegal gambling in the North West
Destruction of illegal gambling machines to combat and curb illegal gambling in the North West
Destruction of illegal gambling machines to combat and curb illegal gambling in the North West
The North West Gambling Board (NWGB) and Mooinooi South African Police Services (SAPS) destroyed 19 illegal Bingo Merry Roulette and cherry master gambling machines confiscated
Destruction of illegal gambling machines to combat and curb illegal gambling in the North West
There was a police operation conducted in Zeerust, Ikageleng Location on the 20 October 2022. Four (4) cherrymaster machines were confiscated from four (4) different
Seven Bingo Merry Roulette machines were confiscated and handed in at Hebron SAPS. Three (3) Suspects were arrested, cases opened and fines to the value
Three Bingo Merry Roulette machines were confiscated and handed in at the Police station together with various spares and part of machines. One machine was
Three cherry master machines were confiscated and handed to the Mahikeng Police Station. Of the two cherry master machines confiscated from JJ Tavern, one had