ANNUAL REPORTS

I am pleased to present the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board’s Annual Report for the 2022/23 reporting period.

The WCGRB’s prime mandate is to regulate the gambling industry in the Western Cape. Its ancillary mandate includes contributing to the economy of the Western Cape in an innovative and socially responsible manner.

The WCGRB is legislated to have seven non-executive members who together act as the WCGRB’s Accounting Authority. The WCGRB, for the major portion of the year under review only had the quorate number of five board members.

An amount of R 1 076 758 695 was collected in gambling taxes and levies. This is a significant increase from the gambling taxes and levies collected for the 2021/22 financial year which amounted to R 780 262 439.

However, the growth is placing an enormous strain on the Office of the Board to meet the expectations of license holders and optimally attend to the regulatory functions of the Board. The WCGRB resolved to appoint a service provider to investigate the development of an optimally functioning organisational structure for the WCGRB. This exercise seeks to optimise the ability of WCGRB to accomplish its service delivery mandate effectively and sustainably with the goal of providing an affordable, skilled, and appropriately aligned staff structure.

Concomitantly, the board recognises that opportunities for gambling and racing pose particular risks and dangers to vulnerable persons. Therefore, the WCGRB resolved to advance its approach to responsible gambling. To achieve this, the Western Cape Responsible Gambling Committee (a Committee of the Board) has replaced the Western Cape Responsible Gambling Forum. The focus has shifted from a reactive to a more proactive approach and concentrating more on responsible gambling as opposed to problem gambling.

The Board resolved to undertake a study on gambling prevalence and problem gambling incidence in the Province, to be undertaken during the 2023/24 financial year. The WCGRB has also commenced with a consultative process with the industry regarding revised or additional responsible gambling measures.

The WCGRB, in ensuring the achievement of its mandate, achieved fifteen (15) out of sixteen (16) annual targets, while at the same time attempting to perform its operations in the most cost-effective manner. The Board achieved and maintained a clean audit outcome on both financial and predetermined objectives for FY2023. The WCGRB is pleased to report that the industry contributed R29 249 596 towards CSI progammes for the reporting period.

The WCGRB, as a government entity, is required to enforce the principles of B-BBEE in the industry. This is achieved through the imposition of licence conditions. The Board resolved to review its current licensing processes to ensure compliance with the SCA judgement (Tsogo Sun Caledon (Pty) Ltd and Others v Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board and Another (89/2021) (2022) ZASCA 102 (24 June 2022) and more specifically the 4-stage process when reviewing the BBBEE conditions imposed on licence holders pursuant to Section 53 of the NGA.

In accordance with its statutory mandate, the Board will continue to regulate gambling and strive to achieve the following goals: Protection of society from over-stimulation of gambling; Protection of players, integrity, and fairness of the industry through strict control and supervision of the industry; The collection of taxes and levies that contribute to government revenues; Economic empowerment of the historically disadvantaged; and Promotion of economic growth, development and employment.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge and thank Provincial Minister Mireille Wenger, WCPT, fellow board members, the WCGRB Audit Committee, the Executive and staff of the WCGRB, SCFEOT and PAC for their excellent work, support and cooperation.

Mr C Bassuday

Chairperson of the Board