Intralot to launch fixed-odds betting in South Africa
Greek operator's South African subsidiary awarded licence by Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board.
Greek operator Intralot is preparing to launch fixed-odds betting in South Africa after its subsidiary Intralot South Africa was awarded a licence by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board.
The licence covers online betting across the Commonwealth country, as well as nationwide mobile and telephone activities, while land-based sports betting facilities in the Western Cape province are also included.
Following the award of the licence, Intralot will launch the authorised products under the JustBet brand, focusing on sports including football, rugby, cricket and golf.
Dr. Yannis Rondiris, Intralot’s MD for the Africa Sub Sahara Region, said: “Intralot is very pleased to take a step forward and launch fixed odds sports betting in South Africa, both land-based and Interactive, following [the] group strategy that focuses on the convergence of retail with Internet and Mobile channels.”
All online gambling aside from sports betting is banned in South Africa, with strict penalties including imprisonment threatened for those flouting the ban.
This legislation also covers offshore operators offering services to South African customers, and in October the Swaziland-based casino group Piggs Peak lost a court appeal against a prior ruling that its operations were illegal in South Africa.