NWGB, SARGF launch week-long anti-underage gambling drive in Moses Kotane
The campaign forms part of the broader “Taking Risk Wisely” initiative, which focuses on preventing gambling participation among minors.
South Africa.- The North West Gambling Board (NWGB) and the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) will begin a week-long awareness campaign in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality aimed at educating school learners about the risks associated with underage gambling.
According to campaign material released by the NWGB, outreach activities will run from May 18 to May 22, across primary and secondary schools in Mogwase, Moruleng and Sun City. Participating schools include JM Ntsime High School, Mogwase Technical Secondary School, Itumeleng Secondary School and other primary schools in the surrounding areas.
The campaign forms part of the broader “Taking Risk Wisely” initiative, which focuses on preventing gambling participation among minors. The programme is expected to include school presentations, learner engagement sessions and information-sharing activities designed to highlight the financial, social and psychological risks associated with gambling at an early age.
The latest campaign comes as gambling regulators and responsible gambling organisations in South Africa continue to raise concerns over increased exposure of young people to online betting platforms and informal gambling activities. Recent awareness drives by the NWGB, the National Gambling Board (NGB) and SARGF have also been held in other parts of the North West province, including Kanana and Marikana.
SARGF has previously said that underage gambling is increasingly being normalised in some communities through card and dice games, as well as access to online betting via mobile phones. The organisation says school-based interventions are being expanded nationally as part of broader prevention efforts.
Organisers say the campaign will also serve as a platform to equip educators with tools to identify early warning signs of gambling-related behaviour among learners. This includes encouraging schools to integrate responsible decision-making messages into existing life orientation programmes.
Stakeholders are also expected to improve referral systems for learners who may already be experiencing gambling-related harm, making sure they can easily access counselling and other support services through existing national channels.
