Rise in underage online gambling sparks concerns

702's Clement Manyathela hosts News24 journalist Bernadette Wicks, Deputy CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies for South African Schools Dr Juané van der Merwe, Executive Director of the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation Sibongile Simelane-Quntana, and DA spokesperson on Trade, Industry and Competition Toby Chance.

Listen below:

According to the National Gambling Board, gambling participation among young South Africans has been steadily climbing.

This is likely due to the increasing ease of access to gambling platforms through mobile devices.

Although legal restrictions prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from participating, accessibility through smartphones makes the rules easy to circumvent.

The issue raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of current safeguards and enforcement measures, says Wicks.

RELATED: Regulations needed to tackle South Africa's R1.1 trillion a year gambling habit - Rise Mzansi

"It's very prevalent, and it seems to be a nationwide thing that's happening."

- Bernadette Wicks, News24 Journalist 

"They're starting even younger, playing with things like dice and cards... and that's almost desensitising them to it."

- Bernadette Wicks, News24 Journalist 

"We spoke to one kid who said he bought his mom a fridge with his winnings."

- Bernadette Wicks, News24 Journalist 

"Parents are not necessarily viewing this as much of a problem as it can potentially be."

- Bernadette Wicks, News24 Journalist 

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.