SA Responsible Gambling Foundation calls for a multi-cross departmental policy
The SARGF says legislative loopholes may threaten vulnerable groups of people.
South Africa.- The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) has issued an urgent plea to government departments to adopt a unified policy approach to tackling problem gambling.
It has demanded action saying problem gambling has now been recognised as a mental health disorder. And it doesn’t just want action from one corner of government. It wants a multi-departmental policy involving Trade, Social Development, Education and Health to close critical legislative gaps to protect the most at-risk citizens.
At the heart of this call is the stark reality that current systems are falling short.
“No one should face this struggle alone,” the foundation’s Executive Director, Sibongile Simelane-Quntana, told The Citizen.
She pointed to the National Gambling Act of 2004, which allows for both voluntary and third-party self-exclusion from gambling activities. While these mechanisms offer a lifeline, Simelane-Quntana stressed that they are under-utilised and inconsistently applied.
“In the financial year 2023/2024, the NRGP [National Responsible Gambling Program) received 2,662 referrals. Of these, 741 were for self-exclusion. We treated 560 individuals and issued 522 self-exclusion letters to provincial gambling boards,” she said.
Provincial self-exclusion challenges
But therein lies the crucial flaw: self-exclusion in one province doesn’t automatically carry over to players in other provinces, creating loopholes for problem gamblers to fall back into addiction.
“While the self-exclusion and third-party exclusion mechanisms are valuable tools, we must address the gaps in our legislation to ensure that no one falls through the cracks,” she said.
The SARGF said it was also concerned about the lack of urgency around online gambling regulation, which is currently still in draft stages.
The proposed legislation aims to protect minors and vulnerable people, ensure compliance with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), and establish a framework for the online gambling industry in South Africa.
The foundation is urging all stakeholders from government to gambling operators to act before the country faces a gambling-related mental health crisis.
