The Police in North West in partnership with North West Gambling Board destructed more than 1000 illegal gambling machines which were confiscated in illegal gambling places around the province.
Fortune Sekgaphane, CEO of the North West Gambling Board said he is excited about the partnership that they have with the SAPS. He further said that they are serious in fighting illegal gambling in North West and that working with SAPS means that they are going to win this fight. “Illegal gambling is destroying the province’s economy. North West has shown 0.4 decline year on year in our economy because of these illegal gamblers’, said Sekgaphane.
He indicated that illegal gambling places’ owners do not pay their taxes; they do not contribute anything to the economy of the province. The machines were confiscated in Zeerust, Klerksdorp, Rustenburg and Brits. Finance MEC Louisa Mabe who was also present at the event, was pleased to see SAPS partnering with the North West Gambling Board in fighting this crime.
She said as the province they are committed in making sure that illegal gambling is no longer a problem in the province. She requested Municipality to partnering with SAPS and Gambling Board to fight this crime.
“Municipalities are there ones who issue licences for these gambling places”, she said. She said they must make sure that when they are issuing permits to these premises they are giving them to people who are registered with the gambling board.
Sekgaphane added that with SAPS, they are committed in squeezing the illegal gambling crime to zero tolerance. He encouraged the other law enforcements agencies to join North West Gambling Board and South African Police Service in fighting this crime.
The illegal machines were destructed at Klerksdorp Scrapyard. Other departments who were present in the destruction of illegal machines was the Department of Tourism. – SAPS