National Online Gambling Tax: Final Design Waits for the February 2027 Budget
In his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on 21 October 2026, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said consultations on the proposed national online gambling tax are ongoing, and that "an announcement of the final design will be made in the February 2027 Budget."
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What the minister said
The Medium Term Budget Policy Statement is the government's mid-year update on the budget. In its part on financial sector policy, the minister gave an update on three financial-sector and tax-policy initiatives, one of them the National Online Gambling Tax.
"Last year, National Treasury published a discussion paper proposing a National Online Gambling Tax," he said. "The submissions received generally recognised the need to address the growth of online gambling and its associated harm."
He went on: "Consultations are ongoing on the proposed tax design, its linkages to the existing regulatory framework, and the implications for provinces and the currently regulated market. An announcement of the final design will be made in the February 2027 Budget." The speech gives no rate and no date from which a tax would apply.
What the discussion paper proposed
The National Treasury published the discussion paper, "The case for a national online gambling tax", for public comment on 25 November 2025. It noted that bookmakers are taxed by the provinces "at an average of between 6 and 9 per cent of winning bets or gross gaming revenue".
It proposed "that a 20 per cent tax is applied on gross gambling revenue from online betting, including interactive gambling, which would be in addition to the currently applied provincial taxes". Together with the provincial taxes, the paper put the rate at "between 26 per cent and 29 per cent".
Gross gambling revenue is what operators keep: in the paper's words, "turnover or money staked minus winnings paid to players". The paper said the main objective "would not be to raise further revenue, but rather to discourage problem and pathological gambling and their ill effects". It also recorded the concern that a new tax "could potentially shift punters from the legal to illegal industry, depending on the design".
What it means for you as a player
In our reading, nothing changes for players today. The tax is still a proposal, its rate is not final, and the minister has said the design will only be announced in February 2027. As proposed, it would be charged on operators' gross gambling revenue; it is not a tax on players' winnings.
The paper says the burden of a gambling tax is in most instances borne by the consumer, but it does not say how bookmakers would respond, through their offers or otherwise. Our South African gambling statistics page carries the market numbers behind the proposal, and every welcome offer on this site shows the date we last checked it on the operator's own page.
Whatever the tax, bet only what you can afford to lose. The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation helpline 0800 006 008 is free; our responsible gambling page has the other ways to get help and to set limits.
Sources
- Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, 21 October 2026. Minister Enoch Godongwana's speech, section “National Online Gambling Tax”, published on gov.za (news/speeches/minister-enoch-godongwana-medium-term-budget-policy-statement-2026-21-oct-2026), read on 29 October 2026.
- The case for a national online gambling tax, November 2025. National Treasury discussion paper, 24 pages, a PDF on treasury.gov.za (comm_media/press/2025), read on 29 October 2026: the proposed rate, its base and its aim.
- National Treasury media statement, 25 November 2025. Publication of the draft national online gambling tax discussion paper for public comment, published on gov.za: the date of publication.