Malatsi turns ICASA's eye on online betting as sports cash floods in

Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi will engage the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa to establish whether sufficient safeguards are in place to protect online gamblers, and whether operators are complying with regulatory requirements.

He said so on Wednesday in Johannesburg, speaking to leaders from government, broadcasting, sports federations, brands and clubs at the annual Sport Business Forum.

“I think it is important that we understand what measures can appropriately be taken within ICASA’s regulatory mandate where electronic communications networks and services are used to facilitate access to gambling and betting products,” the Minister said.

Malatsi framed the question as one of online safety, which he said sits with his department. “Sports betting has grown exponentially in recent years, supported by the evolution of smart devices and technology. This offers strong revenue opportunities for teams, federations and other stakeholders in sport,” he said.

“But we have a duty to be aware of the impacts online gambling is having in a country where many people are poor, unemployed, desperate, and have low levels of financial literacy.”

What the engagement will produce, and on what timeline, the Minister did not say. The scope he set out is a question rather than a finding: whether the safeguards that exist are sufficient, and whether operators are meeting them.

Most of the address was given to the commercial upside of digital technology in sport. Malatsi said technology has opened new revenue streams, disrupted stagnant business models and brought brands, institutions and public figures closer to their audiences.

“Technology is driving the same evolution in sport, with video and big data analysis informing load management and new commercialisation models being opened through digital advertising, team platform ownership, in-house content production and influencer revenue streams,” he said.

He pointed to artificial intelligence improving broadcasting processes and helping businesses identify, measure and assess sponsorship more effectively, and to geolocation and adaptive advertising that lets different markets see different adverts during the same event.

He noted that the evolution of digital technology has also fostered new audiences and a resurgence in the popularity of school sport, creating more opportunities for young people to be scouted. He named Markus Muller, Ethan Adams and Kwena Maphaka as youngsters who have become household names from their exploits in school sports, and said SuperSport’s school and university offering could soon compete with some of the best youth sport coverage seen in markets such as the United States of America.

On access, Malatsi said communications and digital infrastructure will become as essential to sport at most levels as floodlights, turnstiles and turf, and urged sporting bodies to look beyond financial models of support and use their commercial partnerships to drive innovation.

“It is therefore important that attending games in person or watching them virtually is within reach of as many South Africans as possible. It cannot be that only the elite or urban citizens have access to the stars who bring us so much joy, or pain, if you support Manchester United,” he said.

“I urge you to remember the digital divide and how you can play your part to build a more inclusive society by using technology to connect with more people, not to deepen that divide by building products and experiences limited to a fortunate few.”

The account of the Minister’s remarks is drawn from SAnews (South African Government News Agency), the government news agency, which published the address on 15 October 2026 at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/malatsi-engage-icasa-safeguards-online-gamblers. That report is a summary of the address rather than a full transcript, and no date has been given for the engagement with ICASA.