A Johannesburg man is taking legal action against the National Gambling Board (NGB) after it withheld money he won through online gambling, the Saturday Star reported.
"Any form of unlicensed online gambling in South Africa is prohibited and is a criminal offence," NGB chief executive officer Baby Tyawa said.
He said the board had received a letter of demand from the gambler's lawyers, but that it was unlikely he would get the R40,000 he had won.
The man had won after placing a R20,000 bet on a United Kingdom gambling site.
Tyawa said the money had been put into a trust account.
The account, which is controlled by National Treasury, has around R3.5 million forfeited by other illegal online gamblers, the majority of them underage players.
Tyawa warned that online gamblers could be fined R10,000 or face imprisonment if they are caught.
He said many South Africans were unaware it was illegal.
The NGB was working with all major local banks and the UK Gambling Commission to monitor South Africans who place bets online.
Source: Sapa via I-Net Bridge