South Africa minister to ask ICASA about betting vouchers sold via mobile networks

Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi will engage the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to examine whether sufficient safeguards exist where mobile networks are used to buy betting vouchers or to access gambling products, he said in a written parliamentary reply dated 6 October 2026. No new rules have been announced and the engagement remains at the discussion stage.

Why ICASA gambling vouchers discussions matter for telecoms and gambling regulators

Malatsi set out the position in response to a question from Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana, who asked whether the minister intended to put mechanisms in place to curb gambling and betting vouchers bought through mobile network providers. Gana cited the prevalence of gambling and gambling addiction in South Africa. The exchange was first reported by The Star.

The minister made two jurisdictional points. He confirmed that the National Gambling Act and the provincial gambling laws provide the licensing and regulatory framework for gambling and betting. He also said he supports measures to protect South Africans, and specifically referenced vulnerable and low-income households exposed to harm from irresponsible gambling.

Why ICASA does not currently regulate the voucher itself

Malatsi explained that ICASA’s communications mandate is distinct from the licensing powers exercised by gambling regulators. Selling a voucher over a phone network does not, in itself, convert the underlying gambling product into an electronic communications service.

"Accordingly, where a mobile network or mobile platform is used merely as a channel through which a consumer purchases or accesses a betting or gambling voucher, this does not in itself make the underlying gambling product an electronic communications service regulated by ICASA," Malatsi wrote.

ICASA regulates conduct that qualifies as an electronic communications service or a premium-rated service under the Electronic Communications Act and ICASA's regulations. For example, ICASA’s Regulations on the Code of Conduct for Premium Rated Services require network licensees to ensure third-party providers of premium-rated services on their networks meet set consumer-protection standards. Whether a particular voucher sale falls within ICASA’s remit therefore depends on how the service is structured and whether it is a premium-rated or other regulated communications service.

The age at which a person may lawfully gamble remains a matter for gambling legislation and regulation rather than ICASA.

What the talks with ICASA will cover about gambling vouchers

Malatsi committed to raising a narrow, mandate-focused set of questions with ICASA. He said the engagement will consider whether consumer-protection measures already available under ICASA’s framework are adequate and whether further interventions that sit within ICASA's regulatory mandate are warranted.

The department intends to work with ICASA and the authorities responsible for gambling regulation on harmful practices that are facilitated through digital platforms and communications networks. No timeline for the engagement was provided and no specific measures have been proposed.

Wider regulatory context in South Africa

Makashule Gana has campaigned for stricter gambling regulation since he entered Parliament in June 2024. In January 2025 he warned Parliament that South Africa faced a gambling crisis, citing National Gambling Board (NGB) figures that showed South Africans spent R1.1 trillion on gambling in the 2023/24 financial year. The NGB later put spending in the 2024/25 financial year at R1.5 trillion, an increase of R400 billion year on year.

Separate regulatory work is under way. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has been reviewing the National Gambling Act since October 2025, and the department expects a new bill to reach Cabinet later in 2026. A Gambling Technical Committee has been reviewing how national and provincial rules fit together. The NGB is also working on advertising regulations that would include responsible-gambling warnings and limits on placing gambling ads where a large share of the audience is under 18.

In April 2026, licensed bookmakers called on banks and payment providers to block transactions to offshore gambling platforms.

What this means for players and operators

There is no new blanket ban on purchasing betting vouchers through mobile networks. The NGB continues to state that interactive online gambling remains illegal in South Africa, while online betting is permitted when offered by a licensed South African bookmaker. Any change that would assign a role to network operators—such as access restrictions or blocking unlicensed services—would depend on the outcome of ICASA’s mandate assessment and on parallel decisions by gambling regulators.

For operators and suppliers, the immediate position is status quo: existing licensing, advertising and consumer-protection rules under the National Gambling Act and provincial legislation remain determinative. If networks were tasked with additional controls, those measures would be constrained by ICASA’s legal powers and by the technical structure of the services used to deliver vouchers or betting access.

Readers looking for the statutory backdrop can consult our South Africa country guide and recent coverage on gambling regulation, which outline how interactive online gambling, licensed online betting and voucher mechanisms are treated under current law.[/regulation]

Practical considerations ahead

Any regulatory response will need to reconcile three elements: the legal boundary between communications services and gambling products, the technical manner in which vouchers or access are delivered over mobile networks, and the existing responsibilities of gambling regulators under the National Gambling Act. Malatsi’s letter does not propose new measures; it signals a targeted review of whether ICASA can or should act within its current remit.

The political and regulatory attention on gambling in South Africa—illustrated by the NGB figures, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s review, and calls from MPs—means operators should monitor developments closely and engage with both telecoms and gambling regulators as the discussions progress.[/news]