News AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
Cautious optimism from South Africa’s casino sector
South African Casino Sector in 2011 Current number of casinos
Maximum permissible casinos Number of tables
Number of machines Casino employees
35 40
828
22,335 33,894
Visitors 60,568,866 Source: Casino Association of South Africa
Despite the economic uncertainties that plagued the gaming industry in 2011, South Africa’s casino sector continued to grow throughout the year. James Walker reports.
numbersup SOUTH AFRICA
The South African gaming industry has reported a five per cent increase in gross gaming revenue for 2011. According to the Casino Association of South Africa (CASA), which represents the interests of the country’s legal casino gaming industry, revenues totalled R17.1bn (E1.67bn) last year, compared with R16.3bn (E1.59bn) in 2010. During the same year, the industry contributed signif- icantly to state coffers, con- tributing R4.5bn (E440.5m) in taxes to central govern- ment.
Renowned for its large- scale destination venues, the number of casino visi- tors in 2011 totalled 60.6m, up on the 59.1m a year earlier, and according to CASA chairman Jabu Mabuza, the group’s annual survey paints a “laudable picture” of an industry that is alive to its social responsi- bilities, a major creator of employment and a provider of reputable and trustwor-
thy leisure opportunities for both domestic and foreign guests.
“One of the principal
reasons for the demonstra- ble success of the casino sector and its ability to con- tribute so significantly to the realisation of South Africa’s development goals has been the constructive relationship that exists between the industry, gov- ernment and regulators,” Mabuza said.
“This has been achieved,
I believe, because we share a common interest in ensur- ing not only that the indus- try overall is both socially and economically success- ful, but also that it both is, and is perceived to be, safe.” Having said this, Mabuza
drew attention to the con- tinued threat of further reg- ulatory restrictions, stating it was in the national inter- est that the government should approach “with great caution” the imposition of new legislation or demands that may threaten the growth of the sector and its ability to create jobs. He said: “In South Africa,
as in any regulated jurisdic- tion, the profitability of the casino industry is intimately dependent on what govern- ment allows us to do, requires us to do and forbids us to do. And in the same way that our industry is vul- nerable to government, gov- ernments are instinctively vulnerable to public opinion. “Confronted by popular misgivings about the social impact of gambling behav- iour, the first reaction of government - any govern- ment - is more intervention, greater control and stricter regulation. When that happens, we must be in a position to defend ourselves against policy initiatives that are not based on sound evidence.
“This is particularly the case in respect of new taxes, which are bound to have an overall negative impact on casino turnover and thus on the tax payable to provinces, as well as on the sustainability of the approximately 52,000 jobs that the industry currently maintains.”
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March 2012 • south&centralamericanews 15
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