For Sbonelo Mabena, gambling started with a friend who appeared to be making easy money. He watched his friend win, joined in and won a few times himself.
What started as something enjoyable in 2020 soon became a habit that cost him his car, his clothes and almost his home.
“I enjoyed it and made money,” Mabena said.
But the wins did not last. Mabena said his gambling eventually become so severe that he lost nearly R40,000 in a single night. He began using his savings to gamble and eventually sold his car because he had run out of cash. The situation became so serious that he considered selling his home.
The house was registered in Mabena and his two siblings’ names after their parent died. His siblings refused to agree to the sale, preventing him from selling it. That disagreement forced him to confront how far his gambling had gone and he eventually went to rehabilitation.
The recovery was difficult. Even after returning home, Mabena said receiving money could trigger the urge to gamble. The consequences had extended beyond his finances. At one point, he began selling his clothes.
I know I told myself I’ll insert R100 per month but sometimes it’s hard to stick to that. When I see I have a lot of money in a certain month, I add to my betting account
— Neo Mthembu
A mother of two, who asked not to be named, turned to betting while struggling financially after the death of her husband. With school fees and other expenses to cover, she started gambling, believing she could make money to ease the pressure. Years later, she realised she was losing more than she was making.
She described betting as being “like a drug”, saying she repeatedly believed she would win back the money she had lost. Instead money meant for her children was lost. At one point her children could not attend school for three months because she could not afford school fees.
She eventually realised her gambling was affecting her children’s future and stopped. She had taken out a R100,000 bank loan specifically to gamble, believing she could multiply the money and recover what she had lost.
For 25-year-old university student Neo Mthembu, betting is something he does through his cellphone, mainly on Hollywood soccer games. Mthembu has set himself a limit of R100 a month. Sometimes he wins and sometimes he loses, but he said the money he does win helps him pay for essentials he needs for university.
Despite this, Mthembu said he has realised how addictive betting can become. “Apart from gambling you are always thinking about it, checking if you won and thinking where you will get money to gamble,” he said.
He acknowledged his R100 monthly limit is not always easy to stick to. “I know I told myself I’ll insert R100 per month but sometimes it’s hard to stick to that. When I see I have a lot of money in a certain month, I add to my betting account.”
All his friends are also gambling and for now they see it as fun and a quick way to make money, he added.
Growing risk
The experiences come as concerns grow about gambling-related harm, particularly as betting becomes increasingly accessible through mobile phones and online platforms.
According to National Gambling Board acting CEO Lungile Dukwana, the changing gambling environment has created new risks, with smartphones allowing people to gamble almost anywhere and at any time.
Dukwana said the growth in online and mobile betting also means people are exposed to frequent advertising and promotions, while immediate payment options can make it harder for some gamblers to maintain limits.
The 2023 Socio-Economic Impact Study found 31% of surveyed gamblers were classified as problem gamblers, while 29% were considered moderate-risk gamblers. Young adults aged 25 to 34 accounted for 55% of identified problem gamblers.
Dukwana cautioned the 2023 figures should not be directly compared with previous studies because the methodology had changed.
The study found financial pressure was one of the factors influencing gambling, with 56% of respondents saying the need for money influenced their decision to gamble. It also found 54% had used winnings for basic household necessities, while 43% had used winnings to pay debts and bills.
Dukwana warned this can become particularly dangerous when people begin chasing losses.
Chasing losses involves increasing bets in an attempt to recover money that has been lost, but there is no guarantee of winning. Dukwana said this can deepen debt and put essentials such as food, accommodation, transport, education and debt repayments at risk.
Warning signs
Headroom founder and director Zuzana Hegerova said people should not assume gambling-related harm only begins when someone is severely addicted.
“What our work makes very clear is that betting-related harm happens on a spectrum, and is not a switch that suddenly flips a person from being ‘fine’ to being ‘addicted’,” she said.
Headroom operates a corporate responsible betting programme through which its specialist counselling team supports people at different stages of experiencing harm. It has handled more than 10,000 interactions to date.
Hegerova said early warning signs can be easy to overlook because someone may appear to be functioning normally.
“At the earlier end, someone may spend more time or money than intended, think increasingly about the next opportunity to bet, repeatedly relax their own limits or feel unusually irritated after losing. They may be functioning well and may not regard the behaviour as serious enough to discuss with anyone.”
The boundaries become negotiable ... ‘Just one more bet’ becomes a recurring pattern
— Zuzana Hegerova, Headroom founder and director
As the behaviour progresses, Hegerova said it can begin affecting other areas of a person’s life.
“As the harm progresses, betting may begin affecting sleep, concentration, work, relationships and financial decisions. The person may hide transactions, chase losses, borrow money, use essential household funds or increasingly rely on betting to escape stress or create hope during financial difficulty.”
She said there is no fixed amount of money or number of bets that means someone has a gambling problem.
“There is no single amount or frequency at which betting automatically becomes harmful. The more revealing question is whether the person’s relationship with betting is changing.”
Hegerova said one warning sign is when betting stops being entertainment and becomes a way of making money, recovering losses or dealing with difficult emotions.
Another warning sign, she said, is when previously agreed limits begin to change.
“The boundaries become negotiable. Limits that seemed firm before betting began are repeatedly increased once the person is emotionally invested in the outcome. ‘Just one more bet’ becomes a recurring pattern.”
How to get help
Hegerova said people should not wait until gambling has caused severe financial or personal damage before seeking help.
“The first step is to create a pause and speak to someone. There is a substantial amount of free support available. Contacting a support service does not require a person to accept a label, commit to abstinence or prove their situation is severe enough.”
For people experiencing earlier warning signs, she said counselling can focus on:
- understanding triggers;
- restoring firm limits;
- taking a cooling-off period; and
- separating betting from financial goals.
Asking for help early is not an admission that someone has reached the severe end of the spectrum or is addicted. It is one of the most effective ways of preventing them from getting there
— Zuzana Hegerova
As the harm becomes more serious, Hegerova said stronger measures may be necessary, including:
- removing saved payment details;
- uninstalling betting apps;
- blocking betting websites;
- protecting money needed for household essentials;
- reducing transaction and credit limits; and
- stopping promotional communication.
She also recommended:
- involving someone trusted in financial accountability; and
- seeking help from a mental-health professional or a National Creditor regulator-registered debt counsellor when necessary.
Formal self-exclusion can be initiated through a licensed gambling operator or provincial gambling authority.
Free and confidential support is available through the National Responsible Gambling Programme on 0800-006-008.
Hegerova said support should also extend to family members and partners affected by someone else’s gambling.
“Family members and partners can also seek guidance. They may need support with boundaries, household finances, safety and how to assist without taking over responsibility for another person’s recovery.”
She said seeking help early should not be seen as an admission that someone is addicted.
“Asking for help early is not an admission that someone has reached the severe end of the spectrum or is addicted. It is one of the most effective ways of preventing them from getting there.”
For affordable paid support options, people can find and compare betting and gambling specialists on Headroom’s and gambling support page, and a wide range of other registered practitioners on the broader Headroom platform.
TimesLIVE
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