By the time they seek help‚ about 22% of problem gamblers have attempted suicide and 52% are thinking of committing suicide‚ the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation says.This comes as a man died after dousing himself with petrol and set himself alight at Montecasino in Fourways‚ Johannesburg‚ on Sunday afternoon.According to News24‚ the man had asked for a lighter from a smoker near one of the entertainment venue’s entrances to light the fuel. Apparently‚ the man had lost R800‚000 gambling.Douglasdale police spokesperson‚ Balan Muthan‚ told TMG Digital that the Montecasino victim has now been identified‚ and his family has been notified."Yes we are aware of this incident… We are not sure at this point if the person is a problem gambler and if he was one of our patients‚" said Sibongile Simelane-Quntana‚ the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation’s executive director.Quntana told TMG Digital that gamblers who are a suicide risk include those who: - cannot see their way out of financial problems‚ - the person receives threats from loan sharks‚ - person takes drugs or alcohol and this makes their sense of loss‚ guilt or “no hope” even worse‚ - person has lost his family or work as a result of gambling.Court orders SABC to reinstate axed journalistsInternationally‚ it is known that individuals with gambling disorders have a five times higher risk of having completed suicide than the average healthy person‚ Quntana said."We have an integrated prevention programme aimed at creating awareness about the harmful effects of gambling. For those already affected‚ we offer free treatment and counselling through our network of treatment professionals stationed around the country‚" said Quntana.The Foundation also confirmed that one of their patients committed suicide about four years ago while he was in treatment.According to the National Responsible Gambling Programme‚ 326‚000 calls had been received from potential problem gamblers between 1999 until February 2013. About 15‚000 callers had been referred for free treatment - 100 a month on average - and 128 received treatment for pathological gambling.National Responsible Gambling Programme director Nana Magomola was quoted in The Times as saying pathological gambling in SA was around 1%‚ but 3% to 4% of the population was at risk.In 2013‚ the South African Department of Trade and Industry said it was ramping up efforts to stamp out problem gambling ‚ including tightening legislation and reviewing advertising guidelines. Steps to ensure the proper funding and co-ordination of education and awareness programmes on problem gambling‚ and a review of the system whereby people exclude themselves from a gaming venue‚ were mooted.A PwC report stated that gross casino gambling revenues totalled R17.2 billion in 2014. It estimated that gross gambling revenues in South Africa across most sectors of the market‚ excluding the National Lottery‚ are expected to expand from R23.9 billion in 2014 to R30.3 billion in 2019...