1. Gambling Tax South Africa Nigeria
2. Gambling Tax South Africa 2019
3. Gambling Winnings Tax South Africa
4. Gambling Tax South Africa Contact Details

While casinos are by far the largest component of the gambling market in South Africa, online sports betting is rapidly catching up. This was one of the findings from PwC’s fifth annual edition. The National Gambling Board is responsible for the oversight of the regulation in the gambling industry throughout the country and to preserve the integrity of South Africa as a responsible global citizen.

1. Welcome to the sixth edition of Gambling outlook 2017-2021. This publication focuses on segments within the South African gambling industry, with detailed forecasts and analysis. For each segment, we give details about the key trends we have noted as well as key challenges and future prospects we have identified.
2. It is much the same in South Africa, home to the highest number of casinos on the African continent. South African citizens are free to enter a casino and wager as much as they like on a whole host of various casino games. However, they are forbidden from logging onto a computer or mobile device to play the exact same games.
3. The South African Revenues Service (SARS) is the authority that should collect the share of tax from the legal gambling entities. The operators and business have been paying their obligations, but there was not very clear what to be done with players winnings.

Tax Victory for KenyanBetting Operators

In the latest news from Kenya’s sports betting industry, Nairobi’s Tax Appeals Tribunal has sided with Betin and SportPesa. This is according to reports in the 7 November edition of African news site Business Daily.

The Tribunal is said to have agreed with the operators that the new 20% Kenyan betting tax be applied only to net winnings and not, as was originally stipulated, to bettors’ actual stakes.

Kenya’s Changing BettingLaws

Gambling Tax South Africa Nigeria

In May 2019 Kenya’s newer, stricter GamblingBill wasunveiled. The aim of this piece of legislation is to protect customers, supporthealthy gambling behaviour and generate government income in the form ofgambling tax revenues. A 10% tax increase actually took effect on 1 July 2018,and the Kenya Revenue Authority (or KRA) has been after local operators to payup since then.

The KRA’s initial amended definitionof winnings was that it was all monies paid to winning bettors, including thereturn of the original stake. Until all outstanding taxes were paid, thecountry’s 29 legal bookmakers were suspended by the Betting Control andLicensing Board, or BCLB. This took effect on 1 July 2019.

Companies disagreed with the original amended definition, although SportPesa and Betin did ultimately comply in order to be allowed to resume local operations. Before settling their “outstanding debts” they had been forced to lay off hundreds of members of staff and to suspend their business dealings in Kenya.

Then on 19 September 2019 the KenyanParliament’s Finance Committee proposed the 20% excise rate for the 2019/2020budget. The proposal was voted through almost a week later, on 25 September.This is what SportPesa and Betin appealed against with the Tribunal.

The Tribunal’s Ruling

In addition to saying that the 20%tax applies to net winnings only, the Tax Appeals Tribunal has also ruled thatindividual bettors must take more responsibility for tax remittance. The onusno longer falls on the operators to the same degree. Insiders explain that theTribunal’s intention is to shield sportsbooks from prosecution by what is nowconsidered a very aggressive government administration.

The Future Remains Unclear

Although SportPesa and Betin wereable to resume their Kenyan activities after settling debts, while the issuesthat the Tribunal ruled on were still unresolved they could not operator atfull capacity. Now, in the wake of the Tribunal’s findings, the BCLB has saidthat any suspended businesses will need to apply for brand new licences.

As the betting industry in Kenya and aroundAfrica continues to mushroom, bolstered by the mobile technologyrevolution, authorities continue to seek gambling tax revenue as a way tobolster their coffers. In the past week, the KRA set its sights on Betika andsought Sh1.75 billion (or $17 million) in outstanding taxes.

Since Betika was among the few BCLB-licensed firms that imposed KRA’s original tax amendments, the fact that the KRA has now gone after them could be perceived as very mercenary. Of course, if the monies gained from revenues really do benefit ordinary Kenyan citizens, there will be few criticisms leveled at the government for imposing the taxes. Whether that will indeed be the case remains to be seen.

Tax Victory for KenyanBetting Operators

In the latest news from Kenya’s sports betting industry, Nairobi’s Tax Appeals Tribunal has sided with Betin and SportPesa. This is according to reports in the 7 November edition of African news site Business Daily.

The Tribunal is said to have agreed with the operators that the new 20% Kenyan betting tax be applied only to net winnings and not, as was originally stipulated, to bettors’ actual stakes.

Kenya’s Changing BettingLaws

Gambling Tax South Africa 2019

In May 2019 Kenya’s newer, stricter GamblingBill wasunveiled. The aim of this piece of legislation is to protect customers, supporthealthy gambling behaviour and generate government income in the form ofgambling tax revenues. A 10% tax increase actually took effect on 1 July 2018,and the Kenya Revenue Authority (or KRA) has been after local operators to payup since then.

The KRA’s initial amended definitionof winnings was that it was all monies paid to winning bettors, including thereturn of the original stake. Until all outstanding taxes were paid, thecountry’s 29 legal bookmakers were suspended by the Betting Control andLicensing Board, or BCLB. This took effect on 1 July 2019.

Gambling Winnings Tax South Africa

Companies disagreed with the original amended definition, although SportPesa and Betin did ultimately comply in order to be allowed to resume local operations. Before settling their “outstanding debts” they had been forced to lay off hundreds of members of staff and to suspend their business dealings in Kenya.

Then on 19 September 2019 the KenyanParliament’s Finance Committee proposed the 20% excise rate for the 2019/2020budget. The proposal was voted through almost a week later, on 25 September.This is what SportPesa and Betin appealed against with the Tribunal.

The Tribunal’s Ruling

Gambling Tax South Africa Contact Details

In addition to saying that the 20%tax applies to net winnings only, the Tax Appeals Tribunal has also ruled thatindividual bettors must take more responsibility for tax remittance. The onusno longer falls on the operators to the same degree. Insiders explain that theTribunal’s intention is to shield sportsbooks from prosecution by what is nowconsidered a very aggressive government administration.

The Future Remains Unclear

Although SportPesa and Betin wereable to resume their Kenyan activities after settling debts, while the issuesthat the Tribunal ruled on were still unresolved they could not operator atfull capacity. Now, in the wake of the Tribunal’s findings, the BCLB has saidthat any suspended businesses will need to apply for brand new licences.

As the betting industry in Kenya and aroundAfrica continues to mushroom, bolstered by the mobile technologyrevolution, authorities continue to seek gambling tax revenue as a way tobolster their coffers. In the past week, the KRA set its sights on Betika andsought Sh1.75 billion (or $17 million) in outstanding taxes.

Since Betika was among the few BCLB-licensed firms that imposed KRA’s original tax amendments, the fact that the KRA has now gone after them could be perceived as very mercenary. Of course, if the monies gained from revenues really do benefit ordinary Kenyan citizens, there will be few criticisms leveled at the government for imposing the taxes. Whether that will indeed be the case remains to be seen.