According to the April 2025 survey<\/strong>, only 12 per cent of gamblers have ever reached out for support. Just 7 per cent are currently doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHalf of those surveyed said they actively budget for it [gambling],\u201d writes Mduduzi Mbiza, founder and director of Izmu, a responsible gambling advocacy platform. His recent op-ed for Mail & Guardian peels back the layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said when gamblers do seek help, it’s not professionals they turn to, it’s friends or family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat 8% is telling,\u201d Mbiza notes, referring to a LinkedIn poll he conducted, where just 8 per cent of respondents believed self-exclusion tools<\/strong> are the best way to promote responsible gambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt reflects disbelief. A lack of faith in self-control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The root of this scepticism runs deep. In South Africa, mental health support still carries a stigma, especially when linked to gambling. There\u2019s a widespread belief that the available tools are ineffective, a sentiment echoed internationally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mbiza said this disconnect is more than just a failure of service delivery; it\u2019s a failure of trust. The systems meant to protect gamblers aren\u2019t being used, not because they don\u2019t exist, but because people don\u2019t believe they\u2019ll work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEducation can help, but only if it\u2019s relevant and honest. Telling people to gamble responsibly without showing them how, or without giving them meaningful tools to do so, just sounds like lip service,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need more real-world conversations, more lived experience stories and more practical interventions that meet people where they are, not where we expect them to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nAre responsible gambling tools working<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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