JOHANNESBURG - Government wants a stake in online gambling and is punting a 20 percent tax.
Treasury is warning the fast-growing industry is outpacing existing laws.
New data shows gamblers wagered over R1.5-trillion in the past financial year.
Officials say the digital boom has increased the odds of addiction, financial stress and other social harms.
Government is now betting on stronger national intervention to curb the problem.
A new discussion paper proposes a unified online gambling tax.
It argues that provincial systems can’t regulate borderless digital platforms.
The plan would add a 20 percent national levy on gross gambling revenue, on top of existing provincial taxes.
This will potentially push total tax rates to nearly 30 percent.
Government says the goal isn’t just revenue -- estimated at over R10-billion -- but to curb harmful gambling behaviour and close long-standing regulatory gaps as online betting continues to surge.