South Africa fast-growing online gambling industry is raising new concerns about the financial wellbeing of young people. Experts warn that small, frequent bets may be quietly draining already stretched household budgets.
According to the National Gambling Board (NGB), South Africans wagered about R1.5 trillion in the 2024/25 financial year, generating gross gambling revenue of roughly R74.9 billion. Betting has become the largest part of South Africa’s gambling market, fuelled by widespread smartphone access, online platforms, aggressive advertising, and mounting economic pressure.
While headlines often focus on high-stakes gambling losses, financial education advocates say the greater risk for many young people lies in the cumulative effect of relatively small bets. Amounts as low as R20, R50, or R100, placed repeatedly, can divert money that would otherwise cover essentials such as transport, mobile data, groceries, debt repayments, or savings.
“When money is tight, gambling can start to look like a shortcut,” says Tshepo Kgapane, product lead at the free digital financial education platform Blackbullion South Africa. “But a R100 bet may be the same money that could have paid for data, transport, a meal, or the start of an emergency buffer. Repeated often enough, it becomes a serious financial leak.”
Kgapane’s warning is backed by Blackbullion South Africa’s latest ZAKA Index (2025), which highlights financial strain among young adults. The study found that 82% of South Africans aged 18 to 35 earn less than R6,000 per month. Food is the single largest monthly expense for more than half of respondents (51%), while an equal proportion say they experience financial stress every day.
Four out of five respondents reported skipping meals or delaying important payments because they simply do not have enough money. Against this backdrop, Kgapane argues that even modest amounts can make a significant difference when managed differently. “If you save R100 once a week, that becomes R5,200 in a year before interest,” he says.
“That could support job-seeking costs, course materials, transport, or an emergency fund. If that same R100 is gambled, the most likely outcome is that it is gone, and the emotional response is often to chase the loss with more money.” Researchers are also becoming increasingly concerned about how gambling-related behaviors are developing among younger audiences.
Wits University has previously highlighted the growing presence of gambling-like mechanics within digital gaming environments, including virtual currencies, paid randomized rewards, reward loops, and time-limited purchase incentives. Financial experts warn that these features can normalize gambling-style behavior long before young people fully understand the financial consequences of risk-taking.
“Most young people are not careless with money,” Kgapane says. “Many are trying to survive in a high-cost environment with very little room for error. The starting point is honest education around risk, trade-offs, and what money could become if it is protected instead of chased.”
Leana de Beer, founder and CEO of WaFunda, says gambling cannot be viewed in isolation from the broader financial pressures confronting South Africa’s youth. “Young people are navigating a difficult financial environment, and many are looking for ways to stretch limited income or find creative ways to diversify income,” she says. “This is where financial literacy plays a critical role. Young people need the knowledge and confidence to recognize the risks of behaviors like gambling and understand the long-term impact of their financial decisions.”
WaFunda is Blackbullion Global’s exclusive South African partner, providing free, youth-focused financial education through the Blackbullion platform to help young people build essential money skills and confidence. For young people concerned about their gambling habits, De Beer recommends taking practical steps before gambling begins to affect financial stability.
These include tracking betting expenditure through bank statements and e-wallet transactions, setting aside money for essentials such as rent, food, transport, and debt repayments before payday, and removing easy access to gambling by deleting betting apps, removing saved payment details, and unsubscribing from promotional messages.
She also encourages young people to use self-exclusion tools offered by licensed gambling operators, to speak openly with trusted friends, family members, or counsellors, and to resist the temptation to chase losses. Support is available through the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation’s National Responsible Gambling Programme, which offers free, confidential assistance via its 24-hour counselling line on 0800 006 008, De Beer says.
“We want to serve young people better by listening to what they are experiencing,” she adds. “The more we understand about their financial realities, the better we can build tools and content that help them make smarter, more confident decisions.”
