Be it soccer, rugby, or cricket, nothing unites South Africa like sport, and some seize the opportunity by betting on certain matches, but the National Gambling Board warned that the potential rewards may be outweighed by its risks to mental health, including depression, substance abuse, addiction and increased risks of suicide and domestic violence.
In its 2024/25 annual report, the National Gambling Board
(NGB) highlighted a 623% increase in calls to the National Responsible Gambling
Programme (NRGP) toll-free helpline, increasing from 140 000 to over 1 million
year-on-year The report also noted an increase in problem gambling to 31%, up
from less than 6% in 2017, and a 55% increase in referrals for counselling and
treatment. Referrals for treatment amongst youth aged 18 to 35 shot up from 787
to 2034 in the past year.
PICTURE: PixabayA South African study - Sinclair H, Pretorius A, Stein DJ.
A counselling line for problem and pathological gambling in South Africa - found
that more than 40% of callers to the helpline said they felt unable to stop
gambling without professional help, 32% were experiencing financial problems
due to gambling, and 13% reported legal issues. At the same time, 14% were
receiving help for other mental health conditions, 11% reported alcohol abuse,
and 6% were using illicit drugs.
November marks National Responsible Gambling Month and the
South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) warned that when gambling
escalates from occasional entertainment to a habit taking up more time and
money than a person can afford, it risks a rise in mental health conditions.
“For many, gambling offers the excitement of competition
and risk-taking, social connections, escape from daily stress, and the hope of
quick financial gain in a tough economic climate. The fast-changing,
technologically-driven landscape of online gambling and betting is driving a
rapid rise in both the prevalence of gambling and problematic gambling,
particularly among SA’s youth,” said Dr James Burger, Psychiatrist and Member
of SASOP.
Burger says it is estimated that two-thirds of the South
African population participates in some form of gambling, but for the
approximately 4% - about 2 million people - whose gambling has reached problematic
or compulsive levels, the harms go far beyond financial losses.
Betting on sports - from locally popular sports like
soccer, rugby, cricket and mixed martial arts to a wide variety of events such
as Formula 1, American football, or e-sports - is the largest and
fastest-growing type of gambling in South Africa, growing by 76% year-on-year
in 2023/24, according to the National Gambling Board.
South Africans wagered R761 billion on sports events in
2023/24, mostly through online and mobile platforms, accounting for two-thirds
(66.6%) of local spending on gambling and outstripping spending on casinos,
bingo outlets and limited payout slot machines
“Research evidence and firsthand accounts by people
negatively affected by gambling[viii] tell of workplace problems and loss of
employment, damaged relationships with partners, families and community, higher
rates of domestic violence and negative impacts on physical and mental health.
In some cases, people engage in risky behaviour that exposes them to criminal
elements as they seek to sell possessions or borrow cash to replace their
losses and gamble further in the hope of winning,” says Dr Burger.
“Feelings of entrapment, such as through debt or legal
action, and the accompanying feelings of shame that they can experience, puts
individuals with problem gambling habits at high risk for suicide,’’ he added.
PICTURE: PixabayGambling disorder is a diagnosable mental health condition
where the compulsion to gamble drives recurrent and problematic gambling
behaviours, affecting personal and family lives and relationships. However, Dr
Burger said the potential harms to relationships and income, and heightened
risks of crime, violence and suicide, can also affect people with problematic
gambling, who do not fully meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis. They
may also experience these serious problems and risks, including risks to their
mental health.
“When betting on sports moves from a controllable
recreational pastime to an activity that a person spends more money or time on
than they can afford, if they find themselves becoming secretive or lying about
it, need to spend more to get the same feeling of excitement, neglect their
family or work responsibilities, withdraw from social activities, or feel
depressed, anxious or guilty about their gambling – these are signs that it may
be time for a person to reach out for help,” he said.
Sports betting, particularly on online platforms, is not
only the dominant form of gambling in South Africa, but also highly visible
through sports sponsorships, endorsements by leading sportspeople and
influencers, and in both social and traditional media advertising.
SASOP has welcomed recent announcements by the NGB of plans
to tighten the regulation of gambling advertising, particularly online and
targeted at youth and vulnerable groups.
Dr Burger said that the impact of “normalised and
glamourised” betting on sports via routine exposure in televised sports events
and on social media heightened the risk of problem gambling amongst young
people, sports fans, and athletes.
“Sports betting operators entice people with the promise
that the excitement of a live sports event can be intensified by putting a
wager on it. Live in-game betting, wagering not only on the outcome of a sports
event but on multiple moments within the event, makes online sports betting
more instantaneous, risky, and attractive.”
“Young people and athletes may feel that they are better
informed than the average person about sports, which can drive more problematic
gambling behaviours as they try to beat the system. Technology has made
real-time gambling on live sports into an absorbing experience, but one that
can be dangerous if it distracts from your real-world life and
responsibilities,” added Burger.
PICTURE: PixabayThe advice given by experts to keep betting within healthy
limits includes setting spending limits, taking regular breaks, and avoiding
gambling when stressed or under the influence. For people who feel their
gambling on sports is out of control, Dr Burger advised seeking counselling
along with installing ad-blockers on web browsers and social media platforms,
and registering for self-exclusion from gambling sites.
“It takes courage but is important to open up to a partner
or family that you feel you may have a problem, and to enlist their help in
limiting your access to money. Debt counselling or debt review may also be a
solution if betting losses have resulted in missed payments and arrears on home
loans, car payments, rent, school fees or other financial commitments,” Dr
Burger said.
If you think you may have a gambling problem or are concerned about the gambling habits of a family member or partner, contact:
The National
Responsible Gambling Programme (NGRP) on 0800 006 008 or SMS/Whatsapp ‘help’ to
076 675 0710. The confidential toll-free helpline operates 24/7, 365 days a
year, and counselling is free of charge.
Gamblers
Anonymous Hotline available daily from 8am until 9pm. 060 624 7140 / 081 874
1249 (Gauteng), 083 783 5715 (KZN) and 079 343 5283 / 079 368 4477 (Western
Cape)
For voluntary
self-exclusion from gambling, call the National Gaming Board on 0100 033 475.
Done By: Mitchum George
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