The National Gambling Board (NGB) annual report for the year to 31 March 2026 has been tabled in Parliament and published by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. Its headline figure, R84.5 billion in gross gambling revenue, matches what we reported last week. The full report adds detail on tax, treatment and enforcement.
The money
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover (total amount bet) | R1.5 trillion | R1.76 trillion |
| Gross gambling revenue | R74.5 billion | R84.5 billion |
| Betting share of revenue | R52.0 billion | R62.2 billion |
| Taxes and levies collected | R5.8 billion | R6.4 billion |
Betting, which includes the bookmakers that offer Spina Zonke, made up 74% of revenue and 64% of taxes, according to the NGB report. Casinos and bookmakers employed 13,328 and 12,230 people directly.
Help and treatment
- Operators paid R57.4 million to the National Responsible Gambling Foundation, about R1.9 million short of what was due.
- The toll-free helpline took 1,263,470 calls, up 24.7%. Of the 83,541 calls logged on its case system, 77% were wrong numbers and 5,443 were about treatment.
- The foundation treated 3,541 people, 1,642 of them in Gauteng.
- The report lists the national self-exclusion register as inoperative, one of the challenges the board faces.
Enforcement
The NGB carried out 35 raids and inspections on illegal premises, restricted 27 illegal gambling websites for South African users and saw about R775,000 forfeited to the State by High Court order. It says it still has no system to block illegal online gambling and is considering one. All figures are from the annual report.
The tax argument
Gambling lawyer Garron Whitesman, writing in Polity, says operators already pay about 18% to 19% of revenue in provincial tax and VAT, and that Treasury's proposed extra 20% could take the total to about 38% to 39%. We cover the timetable in our tax article.
What it means for you
With the national register listed as inoperative, the quickest route to a break is your operator's own self-exclusion or deposit limit. Check any site on the NGB verified operators list before you deposit, and see our responsible gambling page. The helpline is 0800 006 008, free, 24 hours a day.