OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Thursday
A LARGE contingent of police accompanied by the Scorpions investigation unit raided five illegal gambling establishments in Vryheid, Pietermaritzburg and Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.
Police representative Captain Vishnu Naidoo said about 250 one-arm bandits were confiscated and eight managers, owners and staff members were arrested. Naidoo said investigations and prosecutions against those contravening the KwaZulu-Natal Gambling Act were rapidly gaining tempo.
The raids follow statements by Alan Doorasamy of the KwaZulu-Natal Gambling Board that he wished to make mere possession of a gambling machine without a permit from the Gambling Board a criminal offence.
He said in a Mail & Guardian article last week he believed this was the simplest and most effective way to stop illegal casinos from operating.
The proposed changes to the legislation were first mooted in February. However, last week they were made public at a meeting between police, the provincial Gambling Board and the legal casino operators.
The meeting was called to address the issue of illegal casinos after the Mail & Guardian exposed a secret deal between the state attorney’s office and a number of illegal casinos that effectively gave the institutions complete protection from prosecution.
Durban newspapers carried comment from the state attorney’s office that claimed the deal was struck because loopholes existed in the gambling laws at the time. And after initially confirming the deal was secret, Durban police claimed the deal was not secret at all.
Charles Bell, the attorney who signed the deal on behalf of the state, left the state attorney’s office soon after signing the agreement.
KwaZulu-Natal Tourism said on its website that national legislation allowed for five licences in the A or major category for the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Licences were granted for casinos at Midmar Dam, Richards Bay and Newcastle. However, there were some problems in the implementation of the regulations, and negotiations continued with the casino proposals for the Pietermaritzburg area. Negotiations are also still in progress for two more in the Durban area.
The licences are granted by the National Gambling Board, whose officials were among those participating in Wednesday’s raid.
ZA*NOW:
Plans to change KZN gambling laws April 11, 2001
Illegal casinos raided April 4, 2001
Illegal casinos in secret pact with cops March 23, 2001