Why are offshore casinos still accessible?

Short Answer: The internet is difficult to police. While the National Gambling Board tries to block illegal sites, they operate on foreign servers (outside SA jurisdiction) and South African ISPs do not aggressively firewall the internet like some other countries.

1. Jurisdiction Limits

South African police have no power in Malta or Gibraltar. They cannot walk into a server room in Europe and unplug the machine. They can only issue fines, which offshore operators simply ignore because they have no assets in South Africa to seize.

2. The 'Whack-a-Mole' Problem

If the NGB successfully blocks a domain (e.g., 'CasinoX.com'), the operator simply buys 'CasinoX-SA.com' the next day. It is impossible to block every variation of a website address faster than they can create new ones.

3. Enforcement Priorities

The government focuses its resources on shutting down illegal physical gambling dens (illegal bingo halls) because these are visible and attract crime. Chasing digital websites is resource-intensive and technically difficult.

4. Why Banks Don't Stop It

While banks block credit card payments (MCC 7995), offshore casinos use 'Payment Aggregators.' The transaction looks like a purchase for 'Web Services' or 'Vouchers' rather than gambling. This disguises the money flow, allowing it to bypass banking blocks.