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African Dumping Ground??22 October 1996CAPE TOWN Reuters News has reported that the Department of Trade and Industry was clamping down on illegal imports of poor quality gambling machines according to Minister Alec Erwin. In a reply to a question in the Senate, Erwin said that it was clear that South Africa had become a dumping ground for illegal and inferior quality gambling machines. In one case a gambling machine had been found to have been "manipulated in such a manner that the percentage return to player pay-out was reduced drastically," Erwin said. He said the machines were coming from various countries but that the customs and excise department said that no machines had been confiscated since January 1996. Erwin said media reports indicated there were about 40,000 illegal gambling machines operating in South Africa "and according to other informed sources these figures might even be as high as 100,000." Since July, the department had intensified efforts to prevent further imports of illegal machines and "significant successes had already been achieved," Erwin said. A task force was being set up to concentrate on this "to ensure that illegal gambling machines and operators are eradicated countrywide." This would be done before the establishment of a gambling inspectorate. African consumer beware!! |