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The Limpopo Gambling Board (LGB), backed by the South African Police Service, carried out a search and seizure operation at an illegal gambling site in Phalaborwa last Tuesday (Sep 22).
The raid followed a court‑approved search and seizure warrant and ended with five arrests, one cashier accused of running the operation and four punters caught gambling on site. 80 computers and cash worth R3,210 were also seized from the bust.
The cashier now faces charges for running an illegal gambling operation. His case was placed on the court roll on 23 September and has been postponed to 21 October 2026. The four punters were charged with engaging in unlawful gambling activities, with fines issued immediately.
The LGB made it clear that this raid is part of a wider crackdown and that even participants risk criminal records.
Third major bust in two months for the LGB
The latest raid in Phalaborwa marks the third major gambling crackdown in Limpopo within just two months.
Earlier in August, enforcement teams swept through Modimolle and Lephalale, arresting 13 people and uncovering five businesses that disguised themselves as internet cafés while allegedly running illegal gambling.
Those operations involved the National Gambling Board, provincial regulators, and the South African Police Service, with cash seizures and criminal cases opened against managers, cashiers, and customers.
The new Illegal Gambling Task Team, formed under the Law Enforcement Forum, coordinated the raids and is using Limpopo as the testing ground before expanding to all nine provinces.
