Gambling good for the economy: deputy minister

Elizabeth Thabethe was addressing delegates attending the 6th Biennial South African Gambling Conference in Durban.   

More than R16 billion had been invested in gambling and related activities such as casinos, hotels, horse-racing activities, she said. To date an estimated R100 million has been invested in corporate social investments. The Limpopo Gambling Board had awarded the Peermont Global Group a casino licence in the Sekhukhune area.

An investment of approximately R230 million has been made with more than 400 indirect jobs created and 180 direct jobs created, Thabethe said. Sun International would spend R1 billion on the Boardwalk Casino in Port Elizabeth on or before 2012 and create more than 500 direct jobs, she said. More than R4 billion in taxes have been collected and Gross Gaming Revenue has increased by two percent to more than R16 billion by 2010.

The South African gambling industry's gross revenue for 2010 increased by two percent to R16.268 billion from the previous year's R15.921 billion. During the same year, the industry contributed R4 billion in taxes to the government, Thabethe said.

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