At 7:30 on a Tuesday morning, while most of the city’s young professionals were settling into their office chairs or navigating Durban’s rush-hour traffic, one man sat quietly at a roulette table inside one of KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest casinos.

His eyes were fixed on the spinning wheel, a symbol of both hope and heartbreak.

“When I came to the casino, I had the intention of making money, but it didn’t work out for me,” he told IOL. “I played R300 on the tables and lost and R100 on a slot machine. I had no luck.”

He’s in his late twenties, educated, and has a transportation service business. He insists he’s not addicted, just ‘passing time’ and ‘trying his luck’. But like thousands of young South Africans, gambling has quietly become part of his daily routine.

“I have been gambling for years, and I usually spend about R300 a day,” he admitted. “I used to win a few years back but now it has been a string of losses. It is very difficult to make money through gambling nowadays because a lot more people are doing it. The technological boom has transformed the gambling landscape immensely.”

South Africans gambled a record R1.5 trillion in fiscal year alone, up from R1.1 trillion the previous year.

According to the National Gambling Board (NGB), gambling operators’ gross gambling revenue increased from R59 billion to R75 billion, and participation has doubled to 65.7% of adults since 2017. Gambling now contributes 0.83 percent of the country’s GDP.

‘Students wagering their futures for fleeting hope’

Students across South Africa are using their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances to gamble online, ActionSA MP Malebo Kobe has warned. She described the trend as a heartbreaking sign of how deeply gambling culture has seeped into the country’s youth.

“We are deeply concerned by reports that some students at tertiary education institutions are using their NSFAS allowances to gamble on online betting platforms. This is a tragic reflection of how government’s failures are driving young South Africans to desperation,” she said.

Kobe said the crisis spoke to more than just reckless behaviour; it was a reflection of despair and hopelessness among young people who feel abandoned by the system.

“Instead of providing opportunities for growth and development, the GNU’s lack of direction has left many students wagering their futures for fleeting hope,” she added.

Her concern is rooted in what she calls a dangerous environment created by financial instability, digital advertising, and the government’s neglect of vulnerable youth.

“It is in this environment of chaos and hopelessness that online gambling becomes a dangerous escape for young people struggling to survive,” said Kobe.

Her warning comes as gambling addiction quietly reshapes South Africa’s educated youth, those who should be building careers but are instead drawn into the digital casino on their phones.

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Troubling statistics

According to a GeoPoll study from April 2025, 83% of South African respondents had placed a bet, ranking the country first on the continent.

The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) recorded a 55% rise in addiction-related contacts to their helpline during 2024/2025. The overall number of people looking for help increased from 2,662 in 2023/24 to 4,166.

The rise of gambling influencers has added a new and troubling dimension to the nation’s growing addiction crisis. What was once limited to casinos and betting shops has now spilled onto TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where gambling is packaged as lifestyle, success, and entertainment.

In 2023, former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs footballer Siphiwe Tshabalala was announced as a brand ambassador for Betway, symbolising how gambling companies now link their brands to national icons once associated with sporting excellence.

His endorsement was framed as motivation and ‘responsible fun,’ for impressionable youth who idolise him.

The former cricket star, Herschelle Gibbs, joined 10bet South Africa in late 2024 as a brand influencer. His involvement shows how major sports figures are now being used to promote betting platforms, leveraging their legacy and credibility to normalise gambling among fans, including younger audiences.

Tshabalala and Gibbs are but a few media personalities who promote gambling.

Young people, especially those who follow these personalities – may perceive gambling ads and ambassador messages as harmless or glamorous, underplaying risk and addiction.

‘Inequality has become normalised’

For activist and politician Irfaan Mangera, the country’s gambling surge is not just an economic trend, it’s a mirror reflecting the deep wounds of inequality and despair.

Speaking to IOL, Mangera described the industry as one of the country’s most overlooked social crises. “The gambling boom in South Africa mirrors the despair of a country where inequality has become normalised,” he said. “It’s not economic growth; it’s economic grief that is currently on display.”

Mangera argues that while casinos, online betting platforms, and lotteries boast of billions in revenue, the profits come at a devastating social cost.

“The billions being made in gambling are not creating wealth; they’re redistributing poverty even further and entrenching it even deeper. For every jackpot, there are thousands of families sinking further into debt.”

‘Gambling has become a silent tax on the poor’

In his view, gambling is less about chance and more about exploitation.

“Gambling has become a silent tax on the poor, not an opportunity for empowerment,” he added. “And the gambling tycoons are happy to be making billions of profits while ordinary people get sucked into addiction that can cost lives. The industry preys on vulnerability.”

Mangera says the burden of this exploitation often falls hardest on women.

“Many women gamble not out of greed, but out of desperation to make ends meet, to feed their children or to escape constant economic stress,” he said. “The economic burden is higher on women as there is social expectation to care and provide for families, and when there’s no economic growth and jobs, these desperate measures become an act of survival not just on an individual level but for entire families.”

He believes that hope itself has been commercialised, sold through flashy adverts and endless online betting campaigns.

The ‘marketing of hope’

“The marketing of ‘hope’ through lotteries, bingo or online betting is a danger to society and needs to change with stronger regulations. It’s manipulative and cruel and turns their care into capital gains.”

Mangera warns that the state’s dependence on gambling taxes and sponsorships represents a moral failure. “If the state is collecting revenue from people’s addiction and poverty, then we’ve confused governance with profiteering. Public good cannot be built on private despair.”

His call is not for overnight bans but for a moral reimagining of the economy, one that uplifts rather than exploits.

He argues that government investment should move away from gambling revenue toward creative industries, youth entrepreneurship, and community development.

“A moral economy must not depend on constant misery. We should never have to choose between jobs and justice. People are not just losing money; they’re losing dignity, families, and their futures.”

‘Responsible gambling’

The Responsible Gambling Summit 2025, to be held on November 13-14 at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, will address this crisis by bringing together global experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to build a sustainable route forward.

“The legal gambling industry generates vital revenue that supports public services, job creation, and development in South Africa. But we recognise that these benefits must never come at the expense of people’s wellbeing.

“Addressing gambling addiction requires acknowledging it as both a mental health and financial challenge,” said the acting chief executive of the NGB, Lungile Dukwana.

He noted that finding long-term solutions necessitates cross-sector collaboration, open conversation, and shared accountability among industry, regulators, and civil society.

He claimed that promoting responsible gambling habits and offering effective and accessible support services, the industry can continue to provide economic value while protecting individuals and families from damage.

For help to quit gambling, call the The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation on its toll free counselling line, 0800 006 008 Or WhatsApp/SMS HELP To 076 675 0710 or email to helpline@responsiblegambling.org.za

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