A great majority of South Africans have loved gambling since the first time they were introduced to it. More specifically, they’ve always loved playing poker and other types of games that require a combination of perseverance, charm and skill. There have been, however, many struggles in the years since South Africans became card-carrying members of the digital revolution.
Some circles still revile online poker, for whatever reason that may be. ‘Regular’ gambling pours R6 billion into the tax coffers of the government every year. There is reason to think that online poker, if it becomes legal, could also add a substantial sum of money to this economy.
The South African Poker Association has existed since 2004 and they have given the online poker industry in SA a great deal of clout: the organisation abides to rules that bind all poker organisations throughout the world. This ensures responsible gaming because organisations that can boast the SAPA stamp of approval has proved their worth – they need to pass certain tests to ensure that they will uphold the good name of the parent organisation.
They are but one organisation that is working to better the perception of online poker among South Africans. This is good news for all on the continent because there is so much potential: income creation, revenue, skills creation, and many more.
This is good news to people such as Raymond Rahme, who have been excelling at ‘regular’ poker on an international level for a number of years. He and other people find a certain amount of joy and satisfaction in playing online poker at whichever their favourite site may be. They often start out playing poker as a pastime and this eventually progresses to a more full-time occupation, whether they make a living out of it or not.
Author bio:
Piggs Peak Casino wrote this article about the enjoyment South Africans get from playing online poker.