AN ANALYSIS ON ILLEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING ACTIVITIES: THE COMPARATIVE STUDY WITHIN THE GAUTENG, NORTH WEST AND LIMPOPO PROVINCES

Yıl 2018, Cilt: 10 Sayı: 1, 33 - 48, 01.01.2018

Mmanoko Philemon Masogo Jacob Tseko Mofokeng

Öz

The fastest growing form of gambling in the world is online gambling. This study
is the first step to understanding the reasons behind the mushrooming of illegal
online gambling shops around the three provinces as well as the response by the
local law enforcement agencies regarding the scourge. The qualitative component
consisted of interviews with focus groups from the three selected provinces of
Limpopo, Gauteng and North West. From the findings it emerged that illegal online
gambling operators have the same mode of operation across the three provinces.
The interior and exterior of their shops looks exactly the same. Access controls to
the inside of these shops are all controlled by security gates, security personnel and
cameras. Slots machines that are played by punters are also the same within the
three provinces that are comparable. The most common slots game machine found
are sizzling hot, cool diamonds, heart of gold, lucky reels, fire queen, crazy cows,
kiss, rainbow riches, and little pigs. Through intensive enquiries by the first author,
it has surfaced that software of these slots machines are sourced from foreign
countries like Greece, Russia, Malta, Finland and Bulgaria. According to reliable
information obtain from one syndicate member by the researcher, this software is
not sold to illegal online gambling owners in South Africa, but they pay a retainer
fee every month to access the software. Based on the above findings,
recommendations are provided to assist relevant stakeholders to address the
situation.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Illegal gambling, Online, Operators