The recent Sunday Times Editorial on South Africa’s gambling crisis demands urgent and unified action highlighted the challenge South Africans are facing when it comes to gambling addiction. Distress calls to the National Responsible Gambling Helpline have surged to over 1.1 million and, in a country, where stigma around seeking support remains one of the biggest barriers, it’s likely that millions more are suffering in silence.
If you are a leader in any field working with people, this undoubtedly affects you. It’s tempting to view gambling as an individual issue, but the problem is systemic. Over half of working South Africans admit to gambling in the hope of covering expenses and debt (2025 OMSIM Report). Employers are increasingly seeing the ripple effects: absenteeism, fatigue, distraction during working hours, and late-night online gambling. This is particularly problematic in high-risk industries like mining. Further consequences are showing up in rising debt, emotional distress, and declining performance, all at the cost of employees’ wellbeing and their ability to fully contribute at work.
According to the World Health Organisation (2024), gambling addiction or compulsive gambling is the persistent and recurring pattern of gambling behaviour that leads to clinically significant distress or impairment. It involves risking something of value (usually money) on an event with an uncertain outcome, driven by the desire to win more value. With the rise of online gambling and sports betting post Covid-19, many South African employees are placing themselves and their families at risk engaging in this easily accessible past time.
How big is the problem?
According to the National Gambling Board of South Africa, total value of bets wagered by South Africans has increased from around R300 billion in 2020/21 to 1.5 trillion in 2024/25. 56% of gamblers say they do it because they need the money, 14% because they have just lost their job.
In my work as an industrial psychologist, I hear countless stories of how easy it is to go online and bet on a game or play the slots and how people are unable to put their phone down, avoid the overbearing advertising or the next spin. I hear of parents who sit with their families whilst placing bets on their phones, and students who gamble their student loan money. I hear painful stories of how financial distress from gambling is making people physically ill, causing relationships to fall apart and how money that should go to groceries, bills or childcare is being spent in the hope of winning big.
Taking a multi-level health proactive approach to addressing the crisis
Organisations face a difficult challenge in the fight to support employees. Easy access through mobile devices and a bombardment of ongoing advertising involving famous sports and TV stars make gambling extremely enticing. From a psychological perspective many South Africans are also using gambling to try and numb away the daily socio-economic hardships they face.
It is simply not enough to have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and employees are often only accessing this support when they are already in crisis.
An intentional effort to provide regular health information to employees to prevent them from getting into crisis is urgently needed. This should involve ongoing awareness sessions, training and counselling. Leaders need to model how to seek support by telling personal stories of how they have overcome addiction. Local wellness champions need to be trained and deployed. These champions can encourage colleagues to find healthy alternatives. Finally in the work environment, providing healthy alternatives for employees e.g. sports and social clubs, support groups and quick and confidential support, is critical.
What can organisations do to better support their employees?
As mentioned in the article, we need a better regulatory response from government on online betting, one that provides places cross-checks and limits on spending. We need far greater national education, awareness and health support for those in crisis. There needs to be restrictions or preferably a cigarette-style ban on all gambling advertising. But in the meantime, there is much that can be done within organisations to support their employees. These can include:
- Restricting access to sports betting websites on company networks.
- Establishing clear policies around gambling and general cell phone usage during working hours.
- Providing education, critical support information and awareness around gambling and the impact on mental health, relationships and work.
- Providing financial and debt management skills, healthy lifestyle approaches and awareness around addiction.
- Providing accessible and confidential support for those struggling with gambling addiction (e.g. wellness programs, wellness champions and psycho-social support services)
Gambling’s effect on South African organisations extends beyond personal habits and it cannot be ignored. It affects productivity, relationships, and mental health across teams. Addressing it is not just a matter of compliance or care; it’s a matter of collective responsibility. By focusing on what can be done within organisational contexts and ensuring the health and wellbeing of employees, organisations can play a critical role in supporting employees to fully contribute and thrive.
Taegan Devar is an Industrial Psychologist and Founder of Fineline Consulting, working in the fields of leadership development, wellness and safety, Women in Mining, executive coaching, DEI and team building.
