Anita Nkonki|Published
Gambling’s mental-health toll: 1,345 flagged for high suicide risk
More than 1,300 people seeking help for gambling-related problems were identified as being at high risk of suicidal thoughts in 2025/26, with unmanageable debt, financial distress and mental-health challenges compounding the crisis.
The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) identified 1,345 people with a high suicide-ideation risk profile. Of those assessed, 83% had debt they could not manage, while 36 required psychiatric evaluations and 20 were admitted for 21-day inpatient treatment. A further 33% reported a family history of gambling.
The figures do not mean that 1,345 people attempted suicide or that gambling was the sole cause of their distress. Instead, they highlight the complex relationship between gambling-related harm and mental health.
Debt and financial distress compound gambling harm
Sibongile Simelane-Quntana, executive director of the SARGF, said the distress experienced by people seeking help often stemmed from several interconnected factors.
“What we consistently see is a complex interplay between gambling-related harm, unmanageable debt exposure, financial distress, substance use, relationship and family strain, and underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression,” she said.
Simelane-Quntana said the emotional burden of secrecy, shame, hopelessness, social isolation and deteriorating relationships could compound financial losses and increase vulnerability to suicidal thinking.
For some people, gambling becomes a way to supplement income or escape immediate financial pressure. Simelane-Quntana said individuals might use savings, loans, overdrafts and retirement funds to recover losses, creating a cycle in which growing debt deepens anxiety, depression and hopelessness.
“Debt can often be both a consequence and a driver of distress due to excessive gambling,” she said, adding that people could become trapped in the pursuit of recovering money they had lost.
Treatment and access to mental-health services
The foundation's treatment programme provides confidential counselling, psychosocial support, financial literacy and debt counselling.
People identified as being at elevated risk are referred for clinical assessment to determine whether they need outpatient counselling, urgent psychiatric evaluation or inpatient treatment.
Simelane-Quntana warned that access to specialist mental-health services remained a concern, with shortages of practitioners and dedicated beds potentially delaying care.
“Reducing stigma around both problem gambling and mental illness remains critical. People are far more likely to seek help when they know support is available without judgment,” she said.
Students vulnerable to online gambling
Financial pressure also affects students, who may face gaps between allowances and living expenses while dealing with household financial expectations.
The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) warned that financial pressure could push students towards online betting in the hope of supplementing their income. However, losses could worsen their financial difficulties and jeopardise their academic progress.
ISFAP chief executive Werner Abrahams said students struggling to meet living expenses while facing pressure to support their households could be particularly vulnerable.
“Financial stress remains one of the most significant disruptors of student focus and well-being in our universities,” he said.
“When students face mounting household expectations or gaps between allowances and living expenses, online gambling can appear to offer a quick solution. However, when losses occur, the resulting financial and emotional pressure can significantly disrupt a student’s academic journey,” Abrahams said.
Abrahams said the programme's support model combined financial literacy and budgeting assistance with counselling, mentorship and early intervention. He argued that student mental health needed to be addressed alongside financial support.
Sun International introduces responsible gambling charter
At industry level, Sun International launched its Responsible Gambling Charter this month, setting out commitments to player education and protection, ethical marketing, and staff responsibility and training.
“Our promise to you is simple: we will give you clear guidance on responsible play and tools that help you stay in control,” the company said.
The charter is overseen by the company's Board Social and Ethics Committee, reviewed annually and reported on through its Sustainability Report. Sun International said it was working towards independent responsible-gambling certification.
Government considers online gambling tax
Government is also considering further regulation of online gambling.
During Wednesday's Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said consultations were continuing on a proposed national online gambling tax.
“The submissions received generally recognised the need to address the growth of online gambling and its associated harm,” Godongwana said.
He said the final design would be announced in the February 2027 Budget, with consultations covering the tax structure, its relationship with existing regulation and implications for provinces and the regulated market.