The hidden struggles of SA women with gambling addiction

IT’S 10am on a Wednesday when I decide to step into the local casino to find out what all the hype around gambling is about.

- GERRY CUPIDO and XOLILE MTEMBU

As I walk in, a woman wearing a peak cap, head down and eyes fixed on the floor, brushes past me, clutching her handbag tightly.

My first thought is, “Is she leaving already?”

The faint smell of cigarette smoke mixes with the sound of upbeat music and the chiming of machines. What surprises me most is the number of women already seated at the slot machines.

Their eyes are glued to the flashing lights in front of them, faces completely blank. With RSO in my pocket, I wander around the casino floor, overwhelmed by the endless rows of machines flashing JACKPOT! alongside pictures of parrots, cherries, and other bright symbols.

Feeling lost, I stop a staff member for help. “Is this your first time?” she asks. When I tell her it is, she smiles and says, “This is your lucky day. There’s always beginner's luck.”

Eventually, I pick a machine that looks fun and place my first bet.

A burst of bells rings out, and my credits shoot up. Excited, I press the button again, hoping for another win.

It doesn’t come. Within minutes, my RSO is gone. I stare at the silent machine, thinking, “That was a waste of money.” I walk out with my head down, eyes fixed on the ground, just like the woman I’d seen earlier.

My brief encounter with the slots left me disappointed, but it gave me a glimpse into a world that has lured and destroyed the lives of countless women.

Gambling has become a growing concern in South Africa, spreading beyond traditional casinos to online platforms and mobile apps. This shift has created new challenges, particularly for women who face financial pressure, social expectations, and emotional struggles.

A study published in Frontiers in Psychology notes: “Female gamblers are branded as negligent, vicious, and bad mothers during the gambling spiral, generating feelings of guilt.”

This stigma often deepens the emotional burden for women already battling addiction.