When having a flutter is no longer fun

I WAS caught up in Johannesburg traffic the other day, and crawling along the M1 highway allowed me to take in the many billboards whose sole purpose is to convince you to buy what it is they are offering. And most of these offerings were from online gambling services. I saw Betway and Hollywood Bets promising me great excitement and wealth with minimal effort — I can place my bet anywhere, anytime, and on almost anything.

- ASHLEY GREEN-THOMPSON

You will have seen these adverts all over our television screens, and heard them on radio.

Some of our favourite sports teams have been renamed according to their sponsors — Hollywood Bets Sharks is my rugby team of choice, and they play their home games at Hollywood Bets Kings Park Stadium, up the road from Hollywood Bets Kingsmead Stadium where cricket is played. And fan favourite rugby world cup winner Makazole Mapimpi is their brand ambassador, along with soccer legends like Teko Modise and Jerry Sikhosana.

Gambling in this country is big business. Gross gambling revenue (GGR) was RS9 billion in 2024. Since COVID in 2020, this revenue growth has been at 42% per year. Gambling is a significant contributor to economic activity and apparently supports 32 000 jobs, with most revenue generated in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

I’m a little concerned about this phenomenon.