Casino Robbery in South Africa Results in Loss of Cash and Life

Many things can be said of the gambling industry in South Africa, but a fact that rises above all the rest is the following: it’s popular. South Africans love to gamble, a fact that’s supported by statistics that indicate that 80% of the population gambles regularly. 

This, however, was not always the case. Not so long ago special zones in the nation referred to as homelands were the only places where gambling was considered to be legal. In 1994, when the government turned over, the new government decided not to close down the casinos but to change South African gambling law and legalize casino gambling instead. 

At this point, basically all forms of gambling are legal in South Africa, the industry seems to be running rather smoothly and the government can appreciate the great revenue stream that comes out of it. Problems did develop recently, though, with a robbery that went awry. 

An unlucky journalist was at a casino in Mafikeng, near Johannesburg, when a robbery occurred. Nine heavily-armed men entered the hotel and casino after holding security staff at gunpoint. The robbers escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. 

Khongoana the editor and publisher of a local newspaper was apparently filming the incident. The burglars must have realized because Khongoana was shot and killed from close range with an AK-47. 

This is not by any means a popular phenomena in the gambling industry of South Africa, but fits nicely into a string of gambling related robberies that have occurred in Europe over the course of the last month. 

In the event that citizens would like to avoid such confrontations, one means of doing so is through playing at online casinos in South Africa. Internet gambling in South Africa is not yet completely legal, but seems to be on its way, especially in preparation for the World Cup which will be held there this summer.