Betting should be entertainment

Most people bet on the PSL, the Springboks or the cricket because it makes the game more exciting. That is fine, as long as the money you stake is money you have already decided you can lose, like spending it on a night out.

Problems start quietly. A bet becomes a way to fix a bad month, a loss needs winning back, or the app gets opened at 2am. None of this makes you a bad person, and you are not alone. Help in South Africa is free and confidential, and you do not need to hit rock bottom to ask for it.

Signs that gambling is becoming a problem

There is rarely one moment when betting turns into a problem; it shows up as a pattern. If several of these sound familiar, it is worth talking to someone, even if you are not sure.

Checking in with yourself

• You bet more, or for longer, than you planned.
• You need bigger stakes to get the same buzz.
• After a loss, your first thought is how to win it back.
• You have used money meant for rent, groceries, school fees or debit orders.
• You have borrowed, used credit or sold something to bet or cover a loss.
• You hide or play down how much you bet.
• You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut back.
• You see a big win as the way out of money trouble.
• You have tried to cut down before and it has not stuck.

Noticing it in someone close to you

• They are often short of money before month end despite a steady income.
• They ask for loans with vague reasons, or new debts appear.
• Their mood swings with match results.
• They are secretive about their phone or bank statements.
• Household bills start falling behind.

For a more structured check, try the National Responsible Gambling Programme’s self-screening tool or the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board’s problem gambling self-assessment.

Practical ways to stay in control

• Set a rand budget first. Pick a fixed amount, say R200 a month, and treat it as spent the moment you deposit it. When it is gone, you are done until next month.
• Pay the essentials first. Rent, food, transport, school fees and debit orders come before a single rand goes near a betting account.
• Never bet on credit. No borrowing from friends, credit cards, payday loans or overdrafts. Being tempted is itself a warning sign.
• Set a time limit. One match or one hour, with an alarm on your phone. In-play betting can swallow a whole evening.
• Never chase losses. A loss is the cost of entertainment you already had. Bigger bets to win it back are how small losses become serious debt.
• Do not bet when upset, stressed or after drinking. That is when judgement is weakest and the urge strongest.
• Treat bonuses with caution. Wagering requirements mean you usually have to bet the bonus several times before you can withdraw, which can push you to bet far more than planned. Read our guide to wagering requirements first.
• Keep a record. Note every deposit and withdrawal for a month. The total often comes as a surprise.

Tools at licensed South African bookmakers

Licensed bookmakers give you account tools to stay in control. Names and options differ between sites, but these are the main ones:

• Deposit limits: the most you can deposit over a day, week or month. Set it at your betting budget and you cannot overspend at that site.
• Cool-off periods or time outs: a short break during which you cannot bet, useful after a bad run.
• Self-exclusion: a longer, formal block on your account, designed to be hard to undo.
• Reality checks: pop-up reminders of how long you have been logged in.
• Account closure: withdraw your balance, then ask for the account to be closed.

Look in your account settings for a section called responsible gambling, safer gambling or limits. If you cannot find it, contact support by chat or email and say exactly what you want: “Please set a deposit limit of R500 a month” or “Please self-exclude me for six months.” You do not have to give reasons; ask them to confirm in writing. If you have several betting accounts, do this on all of them.

Formal self-exclusion through the gambling boards

South Africa also has a legislated self-exclusion programme. The National Gambling Board says you can approach a gambling operator or your provincial gambling board to exclude yourself, after which your details are circulated to other licensed venues. The board keeps a self-exclusion register, and its consumer warning says self-exclusion bars people from licensed gambling venues and platforms.

How it works, according to the Gauteng Gambling Board and the National Responsible Gambling Programme:

1. Get a self-exclusion form from your provincial gambling board, or from an operator’s security department. The Gauteng board has a downloadable form.
2. Once it is in place, you may not gamble for a minimum of six months.
3. It does not lift by itself. In Gauteng, if you never ask for it to be revoked, it can stay in force for life.
4. To lift it, apply after at least six months with proof of counselling. Gauteng asks for at least four sessions and processes requests within a maximum of 30 days.
5. The counselling is free through the programme on 0800 006 008.

Sticking to the exclusion is your responsibility. The National Gambling Board also notes that a third party can seek someone’s exclusion through the courts. To be thorough, also ask each bookmaker you use to close or exclude your account.

Blocking tools for phones and computers

Blocking software stops gambling sites and apps opening on your device at all, which helps on those late nights when the urge hits.

• BetBlocker is free and run by a charity registered in Scotland. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and Fire OS, on as many devices as you like. You choose how long the block lasts, and once it starts it cannot be lifted early.
• Gamban is a paid subscription with a seven-day free trial. It blocks sports betting, casinos, lotteries and related high-risk sites such as trading and crypto platforms, and one account covers up to fifteen devices, according to its help centre.

To make blocking stronger, install it on every device you use, delete betting apps and saved logins, unsubscribe from betting emails and SMSes, and remove saved card details. Ask your bank what controls it offers on your cards, and consider asking someone you trust to hold your device restriction passwords for a while.

Where to get help

If you are thinking about ending your life, call the SADAG Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0800 567 567 now. It is free and open 24 hours.

Through the programme’s treatment network, you are referred to a treatment professional for a set of free sessions, with extra sessions if you need them. Where it is needed and approved, treatment can also include a psychiatric assessment and a 21 day stay at a rehabilitation centre or hospital.

Help for family and friends

Watching someone you love struggle with gambling is painful, and it brings worry and money stress of your own. The National Responsible Gambling Programme offers free sessions for people affected by a relative’s gambling, so call 0800 006 008 for yourself, even if they are not ready to.

What to say

• Choose a calm, private moment, not straight after a big loss.
• Describe what you have noticed and how it affects you: “Money has been tight and you seem stressed during matches. I am worried about you.”
• Avoid labels like “addict” and avoid lectures. Listen more than you speak.
• Expect denial the first time; that is common and not a failure.
• Offer something practical: the helpline number, help installing a blocker, or company at a first session.

Protecting shared money

• Keep rent, food and school money in an account they cannot access, with essential debit orders going off first.
• Do not pay off gambling debts without a plan in place, and do not lend money or sign for credit while the problem is active.
• Check joint account statements regularly.
• Use the programme’s free financial literacy and debt counselling sessions to make a plan together.

Under-18s and gambling

The National Gambling Board says online betting is only legal when the bookmaker is licensed by a South African provincial gambling board and you are over 18. Gambling operators are also accountable institutions under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, so they must run customer due diligence checks. These FICA identity checks help keep under-18s out of licensed sites; offshore sites offer no such protection.

Tips for parents and guardians:

• On iPhone and iPad, Screen Time lets you allow or block specific apps and websites and use Ask to Buy. On Android, Google Family Link lets you approve or block the apps your child wants to download and set website restrictions in Chrome.
• Do not save your bank card on devices your children use, log out of your own betting accounts and keep your ID documents private.
• Explain that betting adverts are marketing and that odds are set so the bookmaker profits over time.

Common betting myths

“I am due a win.” Every match is independent. Losing five accas in a row does not make the sixth more likely to land.

“I can win back what I lost.” Chasing means bigger stakes at the same unfavourable odds, which usually means bigger losses.

“My system beats the bookies.” Doubling up after losses or following tipster systems does not change the odds; it only changes how fast you can lose.

“I know football, so I have an edge.” Knowledge helps you enjoy the game, but every price already has the bookmaker’s margin built in.

“Bonuses are free money.” They come with wagering requirements, minimum odds and time limits, and are designed to keep you betting.

How Top Betting Sites ZA approaches responsible gambling

• Licences shown in every review. Each review names the gambling board that licenses the bookmaker, so you know where to complain if something goes wrong.
• Responsible gambling counts in every score. It is one of our scoring categories in every review: we check tools such as deposit limits, time outs and self-exclusion. See our how we rate page.
• We never encourage chasing losses, promise wins or suggest borrowing to bet.
• We do not target under-18s. Our site is for adults only.

If anything on our site falls short of this, please tell us.

Frequently asked questions