Leaders Urge Stronger Gambling Ad Regulations As Vulnerable Groups Turn To Betting For Survival

Making ends meet

He said pensioners, students, and graduates who cannot find work are turning to gambling as a desperate attempt to make ends meet.

Makgoba described the forces driving gambling as both social and economic. “The inequality in our country makes gambling look lucrative. It’s a ‘try my luck’ thing because people are desperate. There is a strong force pushing and pulling people into this.”

“We need stricter controls on gambling ads, especially on television and live sports,” he said. “Just as we have regulated alcohol and tobacco advertising, there should be a practical cap—or ideally, a full ban. Brands and sports players must take responsibility and avoid associating with gambling, as it can tarnish their name.”

Ongoing conversation

Makgobo's concerns are echoed by advertising titan Khaya Dlanga, who has spoken publicly about the personal and societal toll of gambling addiction. Reflecting on a conversation on What Now? with Trevor Noah in 2025, Dlanga urged audiences to pay attention to the potential drawbacks of gambling and how it is marketed to consumers.

Dlanga revealed that Noah made the decision to stop accepting betting companies as advertisers, highlighting growing unease within the media and creative industries. He also shared a personal loss, noting that his brother died by suicide linked to gambling addiction.

“It destroys families, lives and futures," he said.

Dlanga added his voice to calls for tighter oversight, particularly in advertising and sponsorship, arguing that the current landscape demands far greater responsibility from brands, media platforms and rights hold.

Data on gambling

South Africa’s legal gambling industry is both wide-ranging and tightly regulated, spanning everything from casinos and sports betting to smaller formats like Limited Payout Machines (LPMs) and bingo. According to the National Gambling Board (NGB), the sector includes dozens of physical and digital touchpoints: 36 casinos, over 2,500 LPM sites, 73 bingo outlets, and hundreds of betting operators, including bookmakers and totalisators. This infrastructure reflects how deeply embedded gambling has become in the country’s entertainment and betting landscape.

Financially, the scale is striking. In the 2024/2025 financial year, South Africans wagered an estimated R1.5tn, up more than 30% from the previous year. The overwhelming majority of this activity came from betting, which accounted for roughly three-quarters of all gambling spend, far outpacing casinos and other formats. Within that, sports betting dominates almost entirely, making up nearly all betting turnover and largely driven by bookmakers. In contrast, casinos contribute a smaller but still significant share, while LPMs and bingo remain marginal in comparison.

Together, the figures point to a gambling market increasingly driven by high-frequency, accessible betting—particularly on sport—rather than traditional formats, a shift that has significant implications for how the industry is marketed and regulated.

Regulations

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has announced that it is drafting new rules and standards for gambling advertising, which will likely be published in July.

The Advertising Regulatory Board has an appendix with the legal guidelines for gambling advertising/marketing. Read it here.