Cape Town - “We are hurting these youngsters by not doing anything about underage online gambling, we are damaging their future.”
These were the words of a gambling counsellor who sounded the alarm about the rise in gambling addiction among children as young as 10 years old. In 2023, South Africa’s gambling industry saw R815.1 billion wagered, with R420bn coming from sports betting alone.
While this growth reflects the industry’s economic potential, it also raises alarm about the rising participation of younger users. Previous studies show that children as young as 10 years old are already attracted to gambling, by showing interest in card games, lottery tickets, and sports betting.
Research by Infoquest, a leading online market research firm, has confirmed that online gambling is increasingly popular among young South Africans. A source who for years has worked closely with gambling addicts points out that the current state of online gambling addiction in South Africa has become more widespread since the Covid-19 pandemic and affects children as young as 10 years old.
“Our youth, and when I speak about youth, it’s children 10 years and up, who indulge themselves or get enticed in gambling, by playing cards or flipping caps online. Even with the game arenas for children outside and at casinos where you win tickets, that is already creating a foundation to this huge pandemic of gambling. I’ve had children as young as 14 seeking help for their gambling cravings.”
He adds that the problem of online gambling addiction is not limited to South Africa but is a global issue.
“Online gambling is hitting almost every country in the world. We are also dealing with an incident where a 6-year-old child overseas was caught gambling. Because it’s online, gambling is easier than ever before. One can sit in front of their teacher or parent, on their phone and be gambling.”
The source says he learnt from the kids that even though many online gambling sites require ID verification for players to sign up, there were some sites that these minors did not need to provide identification to.
“These sites pop up on most web pages now or even on TV, luring these young kids in with offers that make their dopamine levels rise and especially with the first win, they will always be chasing that feeling of the first win.”
The adviser says the worst part of everything is that when the kids become addicted, they can easily hide it.
“Gambling addiction is not easily picked up like your drug or alcohol addiction, yet like these addictions it does not have a certain gender, religion, race nor age bracket it chooses, that is why I believe more needs to be done to save our youth from this growing addiction. We hope that we can get every stakeholder to come forward, in whichever way to assist so that protect these kids futures.”
Ana Bonanni, CEO of Bettabets, highlights the risks for minors: “Young people are often drawn to gambling due to peer pressure or the thrill of risk-taking, but they fail to understand the serious financial and emotional consequences.”
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to gambling addiction, and studies show that about 5% of South African teenagers exhibit signs of compulsive gambling. These signs include declining academic performance, strained family relationships, financial difficulties, and emotional instability. Studies also show that gambling can lead to poor grades, increased absenteeism, and even criminal behaviour as some minors resort to illegal activities to fund their habit.
The rise of online gambling also presents new challenges. The anonymity of the internet makes it easier for minors to bypass age restrictions by using parents’ accounts or falsifying information.
One 17-year-old online gambler shared his experience, saying: “It’s easy to access gambling sites, but if you win, you need an adult’s ID and banking details. Still, with technology, many young people find a way around it.”
The youngster says, it is the feeling of “almost” that keeps him going back.
“It’s like I almost won a R10 000, so I go back hoping to get that 10k. I don’t know how much I lost though,” the teen said.
The National Gambling Board has confirmed that it is finalising research on problem gambling, with a focus on underage participation.
Robin Bennet, spokesperson for the Gambling Board, said the board hopes the final report would provide more accurate statistics on adolescent gambling, helping policymakers address the issue. “The penalties for allowing underage gambling are severe, and we take these concerns seriously.”
Bennett adds online platforms make it harder to prevent minors from gambling once an account is opened.
“Where legitimate punters who have online betting accounts on their mobile devices, are negligent in securing their passwords or access to the betting accounts, it becomes those parents who are to blame as it may not be possible for a licence holder to detect the actual identity of the person playing once a legitimate account has been opened.”
Anthony Leeming, CEO of Sun International, emphasised that casinos are heavily regulated by the National Gambling Act and provincial legislation.
“It is not possible for anyone to gamble at GrandWest without an MVG card. To sign up for the card, individuals must physically present their ID, which is thoroughly checked.”
The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation provides counselling and treatment for both families and individuals who have or may start to encounter a problem with gambling. They can be contacted on 0800 006 008 or on WhatsApp 076 6750710.