Online gambling is illegal in South Africa says Supreme Court

[nanonyous]

Helps if you know the actual company behind it all.....esp when it is plastered on the Piggs Peak home page.

Piggs Peak online casino is run by Casino Enterprises PTY (Ltd) which is an SA based company from what I can see.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaziland

Swaziland isn't a South African country.

*edit* Derp, meant to say Swaziland isn't South Africa

[ToxicBunny]

I'm fully aware that Swaziland isn't in SA...

Ahhh but I was mistaken, Casino Enterprises is incorporated in Swaziland... but I spose Swaziland being part and parcel of the SADC makes it more tricky.

[Trisector777]

So let me get this straight.... I can't play online poker (which involves more skill than luck) on overseas accounts??? Like party poker and pokerstars....

Anyone out there who's facing the same problem? What are you'll going to do?

[RoloTomasi]

Here's my Q

As a South African, can I gamble online when I'm visiting the UK?

Yes, if UK gambling laws allow it. The ruling by die Appeals Court determined that the action of gambling takes place at the punter's computer, not at the server where the online casino is hosted on. So if you gamble from Durban and the online casino is in the Bahamas then you're still gambling illegally in South Africa. See article

Gambling while you're physically in the UK would be governed by UK gambling laws. Your nationality is irrelevant in this context.

[deweyzeph]

So let me get this straight.... I can't play online poker (which involves more skill than luck) on overseas accounts??? Like party poker and pokerstars....

Anyone out there who's facing the same problem? What are you'll going to do?

You can if you've got an overseas debit or credit card. How are they going to stop you?

[TirNaNog]

Yes, if UK gambling laws allow it. The ruling by die Appeals Court determined that the action of gambling takes place at the punter's computer, not at the server where the online casino is hosted on. So if you gamble from Durban and the online casino is in the Bahamas then you're still gambling illegally in South Africa. See article

Gambling while you're physically in the UK would be governed by UK gambling laws. Your nationality is irrelevant in this context.

Ok, that makes sense now. So if I happen to have a UK VPN account and on top of that run Tor / Vidalia, then connect to my US based cloud server and gamble (while physically) sitting in South Africa, I am breaking the law.

Of course they would have to prove it, but regardless it is against the law. Would that law apply to UK holidaymakers and businessmen gambling online while physically in SA?

I wonder how ISPs are going to be asked to participate here? I'm also guessing this is the end of Piggs Peak online in general, or do they have enough business from outside our borders to keep going?

[techead]

government is so retarded, they just want in on the action. greedy bastards

any gambling company is liable to pay taxes to the government of the country where they are registered. im sure swaziland have been making a packet through this whole thing, and now SA government are pissed off lol

the reason they banning it entirely, is because they know what once you have been taxed on your earnings in country A, you are not liable for tax in country B

cant say Im surprised lol

[ghoti]

You can just tunnel via another country in order to circumvent this.

Lets hope that does not become an expensive tunnel if you are caught

[The_Librarian]

next up will be banning all foreign sales

so should you go overseas, you'll need to stock up on water, food and basic stuff so you won't need to buy anything overseas...

[RoloTomasi]

Ok, that makes sense now. So if I happen to have a UK VPN account and on top of that run Tor / Vidalia, then connect to my US based cloud server and gamble (while physically) sitting in South Africa, I am breaking the law.

Correct.

Would that law apply to UK holidaymakers and businessmen gambling online while physically in SA?

Yes. Nationality is irrelevant. As far as SA laws are concerned, the location where the gambling takes place determines the legality. If anyone gambles online from a computer physically located within the SA borders, they're gambling illegally.

[techead]

the more i think about this the more my mind boggles...

[The_Librarian]

Yeah.

They should rather crack down on corruption and graft than gamblers.

[techead]

so what about the likes of these penny auction sites??

smookoo and wantitcheap

??

[Totempole]

techead

so what about the likes of these penny auction sites??

smookoo and wantitcheap

??

If there's such a thing as justice in this country, they too, will be banned.

Penny Auction sites and their owners are the scum of the internet!

At least with (most) online Casino's you have fair odds!

[TirNaNog]

Lets hope that does not become an expensive tunnel if you are caught

No worries, if at first you don't succeed (with your first tunnel), and are locked up, you can try and try again...