Onine Casinos Companies

Although South African law prohibits Internet gambling, it has done little to stop a growing number of punters from pointing their mouse in the direction of online casinos. Professor Peter Collins of the National Responsible Gambling Programme said it was difficult to tell how many people were using online gambling because it was illegal. He estimated that such gambling was probably "as popular in South Africa as it is in the rest of the world where it presently accounts for about two percent of all gambling".

Collins expects this percentage to rise to around 5% by 2010 with technological advancements in gaming. Losers This would increase the global loss by players from R240-million currently, to around R600-million. Group marketing manager for Piggs Peak online casino, Wendy Graaf attributes the popularity of the online games to convenience, and the wide variety of games available. While Graaf would not comment on the numbers of players their online casino had, she said that "player numbers had risen in relation to the increased use of the Internet".

The National Gambling Act of 2004 provides that "a person must not engage in or make available an interactive game except as authorised in terms of the National Gambling Act or any other national law." Possible loophole Currently, no Internet gambling games have been authorised in the country. A possible loophole in the law relates to the country in which the gambling server is placed. A pending court case between Piggs Peak and the Gauteng and National gambling boards aims to define the laws relating to the position of the server. Graaf said that Piggs Peak Internet Casino had launched an application against the National Gambling Board and Gauteng Gambling Board, in the Pretoria High Court to declare the Internet gambling and advertising of Piggs Peak Internet Casino legal.