s have begun in South Africa on whether to ban all forms of online gambling.

South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry is strongly opposed to online gambling and discussions are taking place at the National Gambling Policy Council.

A proposal has been submitted to limit the number of gambling options available to South African people, lead by the department’s deputy director-general Zodwa Ntuli and chief director MacDonald Netshitenzh.

The separation of power between national and provincial governments is one of the topics on the agenda for Ntuli and Netshitenzh, and whether they can merge to create a single regulatory authority for South Africa’s gambling industry.

There are also plans to close down electronic bingo companies in the country, which have been in operation due to the lack of clear direction on online gambling law, as there is currently no national policy to prevent them from conducting business.

The Democratic Alliance Party poses opposition to the plans, as it believes that regulation of online gambling would serve a better purpose than a ban.

Spokesman Geordin Hill-Lewis said: “That is a very, very bad decision. I fiercely disagree with that view. It is completely short-sighted to say that it is better for South Africans not to be allowed to gamble online when there is patently significant demand in the country to do that. It is for government to facilitate that in the safest way possible.”

Ntuli has defended the plans for the ban, as South Africa has a high level of problem gambling and personal debt.