MEC Lenkopane to Strengthen and Enforce Gambling Compliance in the Province

The MEC for department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) Bitsa Lenkopane, will take firm steps to strengthen and enforce gambling compliance across the North West Province. During the recent Thuntsa Lerole Service Delivery Campaign, MEC Lenkopane led an operation to confiscate and destroy about 278 illegal gambling machines across the Rustenburg and Koster areas, to curb illegal and unlicensed gambling activities.

These machines appeared to have been designed and distributed by a certain Chinese guy who was previously arrested in the Vryburg area, and now out on bail, but still continuing with this illegal act.

MEC Lenkopane has raised a serious concern about illegal gambling activities that have been spreading like a wild fire in recent times, where spaza shops and liquor outlets are found to have been illegally fitted with gambling machines. This has exposed even younger children who are accessing and engaging in gambling at these outlets. The MEC is concerned that such illegal gambling machines also carry drug and pornographic related material, which will further affect the children.

The MEC is calling on all outlets who are engaging in this illegal gambling act to desist from doing that. She warned that the department’s business regulations unit and the gambling board will join hands together and close down all outlets found to be promoting and engaging in illegal gambling.

MEC Lenkopane lamented that illegal gambling will badly affect the gambling industry and licencees, and eat away the revenue collection from the industry if not attended. She says government has the responsibility to employ systems that will raise awareness and prevention of illegal gambling.

The MEC would encourage review and or extension of licence conditions, especially for the Limited Pay-out Machines (LPMs), to partner with outlets like spaza shops. This will see outlets empowered to collaborate with gambling licence holders, for the benefit of residents.

The department takes a serious interest in wellbeing of youth and children. Failure to approach illegal gambling and gambling in general with a stern hand will compromise their future. Children might become gambling and drug addicts early in their lives, a critical stage where they need nurturing to make good decisions.