South African-born Trevor Noah drops gambling sponsors in bold move against betting industry
The star and comedian pulls no punches as he addresses the darker side of online betting, sparked by personal tragedy shared by close friend Khaya Dlanga.
Johannesburg, South Africa – Trevor Noah has drawn a firm line in the sand. The South African-born comedian and global entertainment powerhouse has cut ties with betting companies, refusing to accept them as advertisers on his What Now? With Trevor Noah podcast. He has taken a bold stance against the gambling industry and one that’s reverberating across South Africa where mobile casino games have become more common than a morning coffee.
In the latest episode of the podcast, the globally renowned comedian didn’t mince his words as he unpacked the dark underbelly of online gambling. He was joined by guest author and close friend Khaya Dlanga, whose connection to the topic is personal. Dlanga lost his brother to suicide following a struggle with online gambling addiction.
So, Noah tackled the issue with his signature clarity and compassion, but this time, laughter took a backseat.
“The thing about gambling, on the face of it, gambling is fun and innocuous, but when people work to make you gamble more than you can and should, I don’t know man. I feel like this about a few products we’ve allowed in society and the world. We’ve made it seem like it’s all about the individual’s responsibility, but we know that there are certain individuals who can’t over-ride that because it has been designed to hack that,” said Noah.
He drew parallels to other industries that profit from addiction, calling out how “free bets” are used as bait to reel in vulnerable users.
“They will make certain foods addictive, but then we blame people for being addicted to those foods. Gambling is one of those, the way they loop people. They always rope you in with ‘free’, come in and start with a free bet…People have been tricked into thinking all products are the same and all ramifications are equal.”
Sharing a video clip of their conversation on X, Dlanga wrote: “I urge you to listen to this, especially if you’re struggling with gambling…After hearing that, Trevor stopped accepting betting companies as advertisers on his podcast.”
South Africa is the largest gambling market in Africa
South Africa, home to Africa’s largest gambling market, is in deep. According to the African Gambling Market Forecast, a staggering 71 per cent of the population engages in mobile casino gaming.
A recent Bettabets survey sheds light on the motivations behind this surge: nearly half of South African gamblers are betting out of desperation, driven by rising costs of living, school fees and rent. Even more startling, 70 per cent admitted they gamble not for fun but as a way to supplement their income.
