Rather than merely waiting for the slower pace of legislative alignment across provinces, the online betting industry is looking toward “technical harmonisation” as a precursor to legal change. In this scenario, technology serves as the bridge that allows both sides to meet in the middle. While the global iGaming landscape often struggles with fragmented rules that polarise stakeholders, there’s a unique trend in the South African market which a recent survey at the 2026 SiGMA Africa iGaming conference at GrandWest casino found: a shared desire for technical harmonisation across industry players and regulators alike.
According to the SOFTSWISS SiGMA Africa 2026 Survey, which gathered insights from 99 iGaming industry decision-makers, partners and regulators, the local sector assigns an overall average score of 6,02 out of 10 to the current legal environment. Regulators themselves, responding to the survey, rated current regulations on average 6,86 out of 10 – just 0,9 points more than the average score given by online betting operators.
Regulators are currently working on updating laws to adapt to the newly dominant role of online betting as the biggest part of the gambling industry, but besides the national regulators, each provincial body also operates independently to do this work. Regulations take time to be drafted, though, but officials and industry players alike have a shared vision of reaching better harmonisation even while new regulations are still being developed.
Africa’s lead on harmonisation
One of the most intriguing findings of the research is that the South African iGaming industry is engaging in conversations about harmonisation with a level of enthusiasm that has historically eluded more mature markets. One survey respondent from a leading international ethical gambling organisation noted being impressed by how well the local industry is discussing unified standards – a topic that “never took off” in Europe despite many such attempts.
One online betting operator saw the best way to improve current regulations as being rooted in increased collaboration for better overall outcomes for all stakeholders: “We can improve regulations by bringing together the operators, bookmakers and regulatory houses to come up with one strategy that’s going to form better safety for the player, education on responsible gambling, and faster pay-outs.”
The technical bridge to stability
The survey highlights two critical areas where technology and regulatory goals converge: platform stability and player protection. Nearly 45% of respondents identified online betting platform stability and performance as their primary technical concern for 2026, while 37% now view responsible gaming (RG) tooling as a core technical requirement rather than just a compliance hurdle.
“While formal legislative changes are inherently thorough and time-consuming processes, technology can act as an immediate bridge,” notes Mariia Halaida, head of business development at SOFTSWISS. “By adopting unified technical standards for Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols and real-time responsible gambling monitoring, organisations can proactively support regulatory objectives before they are eventually and officially written into law.”
This shift moves technology from being a mere operational tool to a strategic instrument for industry maturity. When organisations prioritise high-performance systems that ensure 100% uptime and robust data integrity, they provide regulators with the transparency and reliability needed to foster a world-class ecosystem.
A unified strategy for reputation and responsibility
The research also identifies a disconnect regarding fraud prevention, with some operators feeling that the bulk of the responsibility currently rests on their shoulders. However, the survey suggests a path forward through an “open kitchen” approach to transparency.
Industry participants also argued that responsible gambling should be pushed as a part of their main marketing tools rather than a secondary compliance campaign. A unified, tech-led strategy – such as a shared data exchange for player protection – could ensure that vulnerable individuals are protected across all platforms, effectively removing the silos that currently hinder comprehensive oversight.
Facilitating industry maturity
Ultimately, the goal of technical harmonisation is to create a layer of technology that allows operators and regulators to more easily align on safety and stability, and to do so faster and with more agility. By focusing on shared standards, the industry can move the conversation away from administrative friction and toward a sustainable future.
“The mission is to build a foundation of trust through superior engineering,” Halaida adds. “When we align our technical standards, we improve our individual organisations and mature the entire South African iGaming landscape for long-term success.”
