National Gambling Board (NGB) Warns Against Impersonation of NGB Officials and Fraudulent Activities
Pretoria, 08 May 2026 – The National Gambling Board (“NGB”) wishes to alert all Provincial Licensing Authorities (“PLAs”), licensed gambling operators, stakeholders, and members of the public to an incident involving an individual/s falsely claiming to be an employee/s or authorised representative/s of the NGB.
The NGB received reports that the suspect/s has reportedly been visiting both licensed and illegal gambling establishments in various parts of the North-West Province and Centurion, Gauteng, falsely claiming to be conducting inspections and demanding money from gambling operators.
The NGB strongly condemns these fraudulent and criminal activities.
In terms of section 76 of the National Gambling Act, 2004 (“NGA”) only duly appointed inspectors of the NGB may perform inspection and enforcement functions, and such inspectors in terms section 77 must conduct inspections and investigations in the company of a Provincial Inspectors as well as the South African Police Services, where applicable.
Furthermore, section 81(1)(e) of the NGA expressly provides that “A person who falsely claims to be (i) an inspector; or (ii) a regulatory authority; (iii) a person authorised to act on behalf of a regulatory authority; commits an offence. The NGA further provides for criminal sanctions relating to offences and unlawful conduct within the gambling industry. Section 83 (1) provides that “Any person convicted of an offence in terms of this Act is liable to a fine not exceeding R10 000 000, or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years, or to both a fine and such imprisonment.
The NGB therefore urges all PLAs, licensed operators, suppliers, and members of the public to exercise extreme caution and to verify the identity and authority of any individual claiming to represent the NGB before engaging with them or disclosing any information.
Stakeholders are advised to:
- request official identification from any person claiming to represent the NGB and confirm the details of such persons with the NGB on 010 003 3475 or at info@ngb.org.za;
- refrain from making any payments or sharing confidential information with unauthorised individuals;
- immediately report suspicious conduct, impersonation, fraud, or intimidation to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the NGB using the following email address: info@ngb.org.za.
The NGB remains committed to protecting the integrity of the gambling industry and will work closely with law enforcement agencies and PLAs to ensure that any persons involved in impersonation, fraud, corruption, or illegal gambling activities are investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
