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The South African government is being progressive enough to allow for the regulation of online casinos in the country.  That does not mean the country has any intention of being lenient on companies that have been operating illegally in the country before the legalization and regulation of online casinos.

Although, the country does not seem to have any intention of taking the American route of prosecuting a company on laws that did not exist at the time of their operation, they are not allowing regulation to be a free ticket for companies that have exploited the laws, or lack of laws, in the past.

South African authorities are forbidding online casino providers that operated illegally in the country before regulation from applying for a legal operator’s license once regulations have been passed.  This is a big problem for the until now successful Silversands Poker.  By taking advantage of the absence of Internet gambling regulations, Silversands Poker has operated boldly in the country, even advertising on South African national television.

There seems to be no love loss between Silversands and the gambling authorities in South Africa.  The South African brick and mortar gambling industry, just like any other brick and mortar industry in the world attempting to compete with online casinos, have not been able to hold their own against the immensely popular online gambling site.  

Just last year the Casino Association of South Africa submitted a complaint about Silversands advertising campaigns to the Advertising Standards Authority, with no results.
 
“We have let it ride for now. There was no point in pursuing Silversands as there is no regulation yet to hold them to,” said Derek Auret, the Casino Association of South Africa  CEO.

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