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The rise of online gambling in SA: A look at household spending trends
The Star
|September 09, 2025
GAMBLING in South Africa is bigger than ever - accounting for 1.6% of total household spending.
The scale of the industry is staggering. Gross gambling revenue reached R59.3 billion in 2023/24, up 25.7% from the previous year, and nearly triple the R23.3bn generated just three years earlier, according to the National Gambling Board of South Africas latest annual review for the 2023 year.
According to Old Mutual's Savings and Investment Monitor, 20% of gamblers have had to borrow, use credit, or sell something to fund their habit.
Nearly half of all working gamblers now play frequently, hoping to cover expenses or debt - a figure that has climbed sharply from 36% previously, the monitor showed.
The rise is driven almost entirely online.
This story is from the September 09, 2025 edition of The Star.
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