Limpopo Gambling Board Final

5. Chief Executive Officer’s Overview

Introduction It is with pleasure that I report on the annual performance of the Limpopo Gambling Board against the set targets for 2022/23 as outlined in the Annual Performance Plan. The Entity effectively managed to perform its regulatory role in the province. The economic situation improved during the year, which resulted in the recovery of the gambling industry. In line with the objectives of regulating gambling, the gambling industry played a crucial role in contributing towards economic growth, job creation and socio-economic development. Service Delivery Overview The Entity achieved 100% (14 out of the 14) of the targets set in the Annual Performance Plan of 2022/23.

The levies the Entity collected amounted to R 196 million during the financial year. The levies collected in 2022/23 were higher than the levies collected in the pre COVID-19 period, wherein the highest levies collected in 2020/21 amounted to R 78 million and R 130 million for 2021/22. This was a good sign that the gambling industry was recovering, and the recovery is expected to improve further as evidenced by collection of levies for 2022/23. Bookmakers contributed to the biggest increase in levies collected, as the levies collected from Bookmakers increased by 96%, followed by Casinos at 20%; whilst LPMs levies increased by 7% and Bingo levies increased by 4%. The Entity was authorised to licence 3 000 LPMs in terms of the National Gambling Act No.7 of 2004; however, only 1 500 LPMs may be licensed in the first phase. Sixteen LPM Site licence applications were processed during the financial year, thirteen of which were successfully operationalised. The Board requested the NGB to conduct a socio-economic impact study of LPMs in Limpopo Province as per Regulation 13 of the National Gambling Act, to enable the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition to decide whether more LPMs should be licensed under phase 2 as from the 2023/24 Financial Year. During the financial year, VbetSA opened two new Bookmaker sites and Betting World opened one relocated Bookmaker Site licence in the province. This brought the total number of operational Bookmaker sites in Limpopo to 58. The opening of these additional Bookmaker sites and LPM Sites in the respective areas contributed to economic development by the creation of employment, the offering of entertainment to the local population, the contribution to the local municipalities through municipal rates and taxes, and to the Provincial and National Government. The Totalizator levies declined by 5% following an increase of 20% in 2021/22 compared to a large decline of 54% in 2020/21.

LIMPOPO GAMBLING BOARD 2022/23

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