ATC160513: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on the Remote Gambling Bill [PMB 3 – 2015] (National Assembly – sec 76), dated 13 May 2016

Trade, Industry and Competition

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on the Remote Gambling Bill [PMB 3 – 2015] (National Assembly – sec 76), dated 13 May 2016

 

The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, having considered the subject of the Remote Gambling Bill [PMB 3 – 2015] (National Assembly – sec 76), referred to it and classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) as a section 76 Bill, reports as follows:

 

1. The Bill was introduced and referred to the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry (the committee) for consideration and report on 19 February 2015 (see ATC, dated 19 February 2015).

 

2. In compliance with the interim measures for the introduction and consideration of Private Members’ Bills, the committee provided reasonable notice to the member who introduced the Bill, Mr G Hill-Lewis, to brief the committee on 26 May 2015.

 

3. On 27 May 2015, the Department of Trade and Industry was given an opportunity to speak to the content of the Remote Gambling Bill.

 

4. A public hearing was held on 3 June 2015 to afford stakeholders with the opportunity to engage the committee on the content of the Bill.

 

5. On 17 June 2015, the committee invited the National Treasury, the South African Revenue Service and the Financial Intelligence Centre respectively to make oral submissions on the Bill.

 

6. On 24 June 2015, the committee requested Mr G Hill-Lewis and the Department of Trade and Industry to comment on the submissions received based on the Bill as published.

 

7. During its deliberations, the committee considered the merits of the Bill.

 

8. The committee agreed to delay its decision on the Bill due to the fact that the Department of Trade and Industry was reviewing the National Gambling Policy.

 

9. On 17 February 2016, Cabinet approved the National Gambling Policy, 2015, which outlines the policy position with respect to the gambling landscape in South Africa.

 

10. On 9 March 2016, the committee received a briefing from the Department of Trade and Industry on the revised National Gambling Policy.

 

11. On 4 May 2016, the committee considered the merits of the Bill in light of the policy position that no new forms of gambling would be allowed at this point.

 

The committee, having considered the desirability of the subject matter of the Bill in terms of the interim measures for the introduction and consideration of Private Members’ Bills, reports that it has rejected the Bill (DA objected).

 

 

Report to be considered.