SA’s gambling rakes in R1.5 trillion, more addicts seeking help: industry body

South Africa’s gambling industry has reached a turnover of about R1.5 trillion, while the number of people seeking help for gambling problems has surged by 60%, according to the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation.

The organisation says the growth of digital gambling and widespread access is increasing the risk of people gambling irresponsibly.

Industry growth sparks concern

The Foundation’s Executive Director, Sibongile Simelane-Quntana, said the scale of gambling activity in the country is worrying.

“We should be worried… the industry reached about R1.5 trillion in the previous financial year,” she said.

Simelane-Quntana said this translated into gross gambling revenue of about R75 billion.

At the same time, the foundation has recorded a sharp rise in people asking for help.

“We’ve seen a 60% increase in the number of people that are seeking help,” she said.

Debt and desperation are driving gambling

Many people gamble while already under financial pressure, hoping to recover losses or escape debt.

Contana said the situation is worsened by a difficult economic environment.

“We are all under pressure… compounded by a contracting economic environment,” she said.

According to the Foundation’s statistics, 88% of people who seek help are already in debt.

“They can’t pay the rent, they don’t know how to put food on the table,” she said.

Easy access increases risk

Simelane-Quntana warned that gambling has become easier than ever to access.

She said gambling options are increasingly integrated into digital platforms and widely available through thousands of retail outlets.

“The more there is accessibility… the likelihood that people are going to gamble irresponsibly and out of desperation,” she said.

Helping someone with a gambling problem

Simelane-Quntana said helping someone with a gambling addiction is difficult because the person must first recognise the problem.

“With any addiction… if you push somebody towards getting help, they don’t see that they’ve got a problem,” she said.

She added that many people only seek assistance after reaching a crisis point.

“People come in when they are desperate.”

For more information, listen to Simelane-Quntana on 702’s Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa using the audio player below: