PHUMELELA Gaming and Leisure ,  who operates horseracing and the Totalisator in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces, has responded to a press release issued by the Gauteng, KZN and Western Cape bookmaker associations on 9 September 2014.

The release contained details of notices issued to a number of regulatory bodies and including a legal opinion asserting that certain totalisator bets offered by Phumelela, Gold Circle and Kenilworth Racing are unlawful.

Phumelela asserted: “The bet types offered by the totalisator operators on sports other than horse racing are exempted from the provisions of the Lotteries Act and have been authorised and approved by the relevant provincial gambling boards.

“In 2003 the Minister of Trade and Industry and the National Lotteries Board instituted criminal and civil proceedings against Phumelela, in which they applied for an order declaring that Phumelela was contravening the Lotteries Act. The applicants withdrew the civil application on 25 June 2004 and tendered Phumelela’s taxed party and party costs.

“During the financial year ended 31 July 2014, provincial betting taxes amounting to approximately R31 million were paid over to all provinces on these totalisator bets.

“Phumelela has instructed its legal advisers to answer these notices in the appropriate forums and to take all such steps as are available to it to protect its interests.”