Explore how South Africa's booming online gambling industry is affecting the financial wellbeing of young people, with experts warning that even small bets can lead to significant financial strain.
South Africa's booming online gambling industry is raising fresh concerns about the financial wellbeing of young people, as experts warn that small, frequent bets are quietly eroding already stretched household budgets.
According to the National Gambling Board (NGB), South Africans wagered approximately R1.5 trillion during the 2024/25 financial year, generating gross gambling revenue of around R74.9 billion. Betting now represents the largest segment of the country's gambling industry, fuelled by widespread smartphone access, online platforms, aggressive advertising and mounting economic pressure.
While headlines often focus on high-stakes gambling losses, financial education advocates say the greater risk for many young South Africans lies in the cumulative effect of relatively small bets. Amounts as little as R20, R50 or R100, placed repeatedly, can divert money that would otherwise cover essential expenses such as transport, mobile data, groceries, debt repayments or savings.
"When money is tight, gambling can start to look like a shortcut," says Tshepo Kgapane, product lead at free digital financial education platform Blackbullion South Africa. "But a R100 bet may be the same money that could have paid for data, transport, a meal, or the start of an emergency buffer. Repeated often enough, it becomes a serious financial leak."
