Responsible Gambling in South Africa

Betting should be entertainment you can afford. If it stops being that, help in South Africa is free, confidential and available at any hour.

Where to get help in South Africa

National Responsible Gambling Programme, 0800 006 008. A toll-free counselling line, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
WhatsApp 076 675 0710 if you would rather type than talk. The programme’s WhatsApp line asks you to press 1 and take a self-check quiz if you want a referral, and then you chat with a qualified counsellor, who can refer you to the treatment professional nearest to you.
Email helpline@responsiblegambling.org.za if you would rather write. Hollywoodbets gives it as the Foundation’s email address, next to the counselling line.
South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, the non-profit that runs the programme, at responsiblegambling.org.za. It works independently of the gambling industry, and its warning signs page has a free self-check quiz: if you answer yes to 4 or more of the questions, it asks you to call 0800 006 008 and speak to a qualified professional.
Gamblers Anonymous South Africa, gamblersanonymous.org.za, for group meetings around the country. Its hotline runs from 8am to 9pm every day on 060 624 7140 or 078 661 9857 in Gauteng, 083 783 5715 in KwaZulu-Natal, and 079 343 5283 or 079 368 4477 in the Western Cape.

What happens when you call

A counsellor on the line or on WhatsApp first assesses your situation, then refers you to an accredited treatment professional in the programme’s national network. The treatment is free, and someone with a gambling problem is offered eight counselling sessions, with the option of two more if the treatment professional recommends them. People in treatment are also referred for free financial counselling and financial literacy sessions, because, as the Foundation puts it, financial strain is a significant driver of gambling distress.

The tools inside licensed apps

Each operator lists its own tools on its responsible gambling page, and the names differ from one app to the next. These are the ones to look for.

Spending limits. Set a budget on the day you install the app, because a limit works before the money is gone. Supabets suggests a limit on how much you stake each week, and if you need a break, it disables your betting account for as long as you ask when you email support@supabets.co.za.
Cooling-off periods, a break you choose yourself. The Betway app offers one of at least 24 hours and a longer suspension of at least a month, and Hollywoodbets lets you pick anything from a couple of days to several years.
Self-exclusion, which closes your betting account for a fixed period or for good. At Betway a temporary self-exclusion runs for at least six months. Hollywoodbets takes it through the gambling boards’ form, emailed to the National Gambling Board at info@ngb.org.za; that closes your Hollywoodbets account and returns the money in it, and its team helps with the form at selfexclusion@hollywoodbets.net.
Self-assessment quizzes. Betway and LottoStar both offer a short quiz that helps you judge whether your betting is getting out of hand.
A direct line to the operator’s own team. Betway’s responsible gambling team takes calls on 0861 787 250 and email at responsiblegambling@betway.co.za, and once you are logged in, you can lock your own account for up to six months from the Responsible gambling section of your profile.

Signs to watch for

These are warning signs the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation lists on its own pages. If they sound familiar, take the Foundation’s self-check quiz or call the line.

Needing bigger bets to get the same excitement as before.
Chasing losses, betting more to try to win back money you have lost.
Borrowing money, or leaning on other people, because betting has left you short.
Hiding your betting, or lying about how much you bet, to the people close to you.
Betting to cope with stress, anxiety, low mood or other difficult feelings.
Thinking about betting often, or planning the next bet.
Trying to cut down and not managing it, or feeling restless and irritable when you try.

The legal rules

You must be 18 or older to bet in South Africa. Gambling is prohibited for anyone younger, and licensed operators such as Hollywoodbets print that no one under 18 may gamble.
Bet only with a licensed South African bookmaker. The National Gambling Board says online betting is only legal when the operator holds a licence from a provincial gambling board and you are over 18.
Self-exclusion reaches beyond one operator. The National Gambling Board says that once you exclude yourself through an operator or a provincial gambling board, your details are sent to all other licensed venues so they can stop you gambling too.
Someone who depends on you can ask a court to exclude you. The board says a person who depends on you financially can go to court to have you excluded if you have a gambling problem.
Once you are excluded, staying away is up to you. The National Gambling Board describes the exclusion as a contract between you and the operator, and says the onus stays with the excluded person to keep away.

Responsible gambling FAQ

Can I get help for someone else?

Yes. Call the same line or send a WhatsApp message and explain that you are worried about a family member or friend. Relatives affected by someone’s gambling can be referred for counselling of their own: the Foundation offers them three sessions, with the option of two more, and its social services help partners, children and families with ways to cope.

How do I close my betting account for good?

Ask the operator for permanent self-exclusion. Betway closes the account permanently and says you will not be able to reopen it, and it allows up to 48 hours to process a request, during which anything on the account is still your responsibility, so stop using it while you wait. Before the account closes, Betway contacts you to return any balance of R20 or more.

Can I end a cooling-off period early?

It depends on the operator. At Hollywoodbets a cooling-off period shorter than 30 days has to run its full length, while a longer one can be lifted once 30 days have passed.

What if I start gambling again after treatment?

Call the line again. The programme offers eight more sessions to people who relapse after treatment, and it runs a Gambling Recovery Support Group for people who have finished their sessions.

Betting in South Africa is for adults aged 18 and over. If it has stopped being fun, call the National Responsible Gambling Programme free on 0800 006 008, at any hour of the day or night, or send HELP on WhatsApp to 076 675 0710.