Only 12% of SA gamblers have asked for help, despite rising financial strain

Mail & Guardian

22-05-2025

Online casinos make it easy by offering local payment options and customer service in South African languages.
A recent gambling trends report by InfoQuest paints a troubling picture of South Africa's evolving gambling culture. While overall participation has declined slightly, the financial pressure and psychological toll on active gamblers is growing, and few are seeking help.
According to the April 2025 survey, 63% of gamblers use money meant for essentials such as food, rent or savings. Gambling, for many, has become a routine monthly expense, treated no differently from paying bills. Half of those surveyed said they actively budget for it. This shift in mindset — from entertainment to obligation — is cause for concern.
Even more striking is the emotional and behavioural strain. About 15% of gamblers admitted they couldn't control their desire to gamble, even when they had no money. Among younger adults aged 18 to 34, this loss of control was more common. These same individuals are also more likely to chase wins — one in three gamblers said they use their winnings to keep playing, increasing the risk of falling into a cycle of loss and debt.
Borrowing money to gamble isn't uncommon either; 16% of gamblers surveyed said they've done it. But that number is likely an understatement. Shame, denial and stigma often prevent people from reporting this kind of behaviour honestly. These financial red flags, taken together, point to a growing dependence on gambling to cope, escape or simply feel in control.
Despite the warning signs, very few are getting the help they need. Only 12% have ever asked for help. Just 7% are currently seeking it. Another 10% have thought about it but haven't taken any steps. That leaves 67% — the overwhelming majority — who have never considered reaching out. Those who did seek support mostly turned to family or friends, not professionals.
This silence around help-seeking isn't just a personal issue, it's a cultural one. In South Africa, mental health and behavioural support services still carry stigma, especially when tied to gambling. Many don't know where to go, others don't think they need help, and some believe nothing will actually change. It's not just a lack of services, it's a lack of belief in what those services can offer.
To understand how people view the available tools, I ran a poll on LinkedIn asking: What's the most effective way to promote responsible gambling? Out of 49 votes, 39% chose in-game messaging and spending limits. Educational content followed with 29%. Regulation came in at 24%, and only 8% of respondents selected player self-exclusion tools.
That 8% is telling. It reveals something deeper than preference; it reflects disbelief. A lack of faith in self-control. A sense that gamblers either won't help themselves or can't. That belief, to me, is the most alarming finding of all.
When most people don't trust the effectiveness of self-exclusion, and when nearly seven in 10 gamblers never seek help, we're not just dealing with risky behaviour, we're dealing with a silent crisis. One that isn't just financial, but also psychological and cultural.
Internationally, the picture isn't that different. In the United Kingdom, for example,
This scepticism is rooted in the belief that operators' commercial interests may conflict with the provision of effective support tools. Building full trust in support options available will be key to supporting those who have experienced adverse consequences to access help.
So, where does that leave us? If people don't trust the tools, don't seek help and continue gambling with money they don't have, then it's time to ask whether we're doing enough, not just in terms of regulation, but in terms of empathy, visibility and practicality.
We can't rely on people to hit rock bottom before they're offered support. Nor can we assume that existing tools are enough. Responsible gambling messaging, often tucked away in fine print or footnotes, won't make a difference on its own. And self-exclusion programmes that are hard to find, confusing to use or emotionally overwhelming will remain underused.
What's needed is a reset in how we work with gamblers. Support needs to be visible, normalised and easy to access — not something people feel ashamed to consider. The systems we put in place should be judged by how many people actually use them, not just how well they're designed on paper.
Education can help, but only if it's relevant and honest. Telling people to gamble responsibly without showing them how, or without giving them meaningful tools to do so, just sounds like lip service. We need more real-world conversations, more lived experience stories and more practical interventions that meet people where they are, not where we expect them to be.
The numbers don't lie — but they're not just statistics. They're a signal that we're failing to support people before they reach their breaking point.
Mduduzi Mbiza is the founder and director of Izmu, an online platform promoting responsible gambling education in South Africa.