(AsiaGameHub) –   South Africa’s gambling sector has been drawing significant attention recently due to the high volume of annual license issuances, according to new parliamentary statistics.

A parliamentary response from Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana confirmed that 3,135 licenses were issued for the 2024/2025 financial year—marginally down from 3,174 in the prior year and slightly below 3,186 in 2022/2023. The approval of such a large number of licenses has raised questions about whether the government can adequately monitor the gambling industry’s growth.

Most licenses were granted to limited payout machines and bookmakers, which account for the majority of the sector’s growth.

Police have stated that oversight in the gambling sector is insufficient. Questions have been raised about whether provincial boards have the appropriate resources to consistently enforce regulations related to consumer protection, responsible gambling, and financial reporting. There is growing concern that oversight from provincial boards is inconsistent across provinces, with some boards having significant resources and others having very few.

Police reported a total of 32,938 illegal gambling cases over the last five financial years, with approximately 100% originating from land-based gambling establishments. During the same period, 36 online gambling cases were reported, resulting in 39 arrests and 22 convictions.

Due to these issues, many legislators are calling for increased coordination between national and provincial authorities. Several proposals have been made to improve