Sun International urges tougher enforcement on offshore gambling in South Africa

Sun International has called on South African authorities to step up enforcement against unlicensed offshore gambling platforms operating in the country, and outlined a package of internal protections and planned technology deployments to minimise player harm. Chief Executive Ulrik Bengtsson raised these concerns during meetings with Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and officials from the National Gambling Board (NGB). The company warned that disproportionate regulatory costs or levies on authorised operators could push consumers toward illicit offshore alternatives.

Regulatory engagement and timing

Bengtsson held high-level discussions with Parks Tau and NGB representatives while the South African government considers updates to the national gambling framework. The company’s interventions coincided with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s 9 October announcement confirming Cabinet approval for a new NGB board. Sun International argued for a unified national approach and tighter inter-agency cooperation among regulatory bodies, law enforcement and financial institutions to intercept unauthorised platforms serving South African customers without local licences.

Responsible Gambling Charter and internal controls

Sun International has introduced a Responsible Gambling Charter that formalises measures across its land-based and online operations. The charter includes deposit restrictions, self-exclusion tools, cooling-off periods, self-evaluations and access to counselling resources. It also ties responsible gambling compliance to board-level oversight and executive performance evaluations, commits the company to annual public progress reporting, mandates specialised staff training to identify problem-gambling indicators, and schedules independent external audits of its protective systems. The company says automated alerts will be reviewed by trained staff rather than treated as definitive assessments.

The Responsible Gambling Charter is presented as part of the operator’s compliance leadership; the charter page links to ongoing regulatory discussion in the sector Responsible Gambling Charter.

Planned AI monitoring from 2027

Sun International plans to deploy artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics in 2027 to support behavioural monitoring. The AI systems are intended to identify behavioural patterns that suggest a customer may be experiencing gambling-related harm and to generate automated risk alerts for staff review. The company emphasised that responsible gambling data will be used for player protection and not for commercial profiling or to incentivise increased wagering.

Market protection and commercial fairness

Sun International warned that regulatory structures imposing disproportionate financial burdens or levies on authorised local operators risk diverting consumers to unregulated offshore operators that do not apply South African consumer safeguards. The operator urged coordinated action across regulators, enforcement agencies and financial institutions to close channels used by illegal offshore platforms.

Position in the wider reform process

The company framed its recommendations within the ongoing policy process as the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition advances changes to the national framework. Sun International continues to press for player protection, responsible gambling measures and equitable taxation to be central to legislative deliberations.

"Illegal offshore operators frequently fail to enforce the rigorous consumer safeguards mandated within South Africa's regulated jurisdiction," Ulrik Bengtsson said, arguing for closer cooperation between public authorities and licensed operators.

The company described the AI alerts as tools for staff to review rather than conclusive assessments.