‘Just a tap away’: How sports betting apps turned millions of South Africans into daily gamblers
South Africans wagered R1.1 trillion on betting activities during the 2024/25 financial year, fuelled largely by the rise of mobile betting apps
Image: IOL Graphics
South Africans wagered R1.1 trillion on betting activities during the 2024/25 financial year, fuelled largely by the rise of mobile betting apps that have turned gambling into a daily habit for millions.
According to the National Gambling Board (NGB), gambling in the country is on the rise, with over R1.5 trillion spent across all gambling activities, a staggering R400 billion increase from the previous year alone.
Gross gambling revenue increased sharply, rising from R59 billion to R75 billion, while participation rates have doubled since 2017, with nearly 65.7% of adults now engaging in some form of gambling.
It’s just a tap away
The rapid growth is closely linked to the convenience and accessibility of mobile betting apps. These platforms make placing bets as simple as a few taps on a phone, encouraging users to engage multiple times a day.
“It’s just easier,” said one casual gambler from Durban, who asked to remain anonymous. “I don’t have to walk to the Casino anymore. I just sit at home and place a quick bet.”
He added that he typically bets with small amounts around R30 or R40 at a time using just a little bit of his salary for what he calls “a little bit of pleasure.” While he admits some people get addicted, he believes “you need to have self-control.”
South Africa’s leading betting apps use a combination of push notifications, personalised promotions, and seamless deposit options to keep users engaged.
“It’s easy,” Siphelele Dube said, an unemployed Durban resident who survives on piece jobs. “You just tap a few buttons, there’s not much to do. Once you’ve set it up, all you have to remember is your password.”
From betting on live games, the platforms are said to be engineered to make gambling feel like a constant, easy-to-access form of entertainment.
Betting companies have employed aggressive marketing tactics, leveraging popular sports figures and sponsoring major sporting events, such as the Premier Soccer League (PSL), SA20 and popular music festivals across the country, to embed themselves in South African culture.
Even public offices, such as Home Affairs branches, are not safe from this infiltration. Earlier this year, Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana publicly slammed the presence of branded gambling promotions in government spaces.
"There is just too much gambling and sports betting advertising in South Africa. This is why we are calling for the gambling advertising to be properly regulated. The current regulations are not working," Gana said.
The psychology behind the spin
Besides aggressive marketing, online betting apps also use psychological tricks to keep people playing. A study by Jelle Medendorp in the Netherlands found that gambling sites use tactics like showing players “near misses”, making it look like they almost won, and celebrating small losses as if they were wins.
"Strategies to influence the decisions of their users are based on a certain type of nudging. Nudging is a term commonly used in behavioural science. To nudge someone means to give them a little push in a certain direction, to try to ‘nudge’ users towards a certain choice," the study notes.
There's also been a proliferation of illegal online gambling sites in the country. According to the Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau, South Africa has recorded at least 90 online gambling websites currently operating illegally, all of which are registered and licensed overseas.
Legal loopholes and offshore dangers
However, as the crisis continues to unfold, consumer lawyer Trudie Broekmann said existing legal protections are not keeping pace with the industry’s growth.
“Online betting is unfortunately only regulated by the Consumer Protection Act where services are being provided to consumers by the betting app,” Broekmann said.
“Even where the app is not South African, if it offers services to South Africans, it must comply with our standards.”
These standards include ensuring that services are of good quality, delivered on time, and free of defects. Yet, Broekmann notes that many users who want to stop gambling struggle to close their accounts or escape constant promotional pressure.
"Aggressive marketing tactics may fall under the prohibition on unfair tactics, pressure, or harassment, all of which are outlawed by Section 40 of the Act.”
"Consumers can report this behaviour to the consumer tribunal, which falls under their provincial government, or if they do not have a consumer tribunal in their province, to the National Consumer Commission and request that the maximum fine (of R1 million or 10% of turnover, whichever amount is higher) be imposed on the online bookmaker"
Broekmann also warned that South African law does not assist with collecting gambling winnings or debts, adding that gambling is still considered dishonourable under the law, meaning users have limited recourse if winnings are withheld, especially from illegal, offshore sites.
"I would recommend that anyone who has been treated unfairly by an online bookmaker report them and ask for the fine, so that consumers can force this industry to clean up".
South Africa’s outdated online gambling laws
According to Zamankwali Njobe, law lecturer and PhD candidate at UKZN, South Africa’s legal framework for online gambling is outdated and fragmented.
"The country’s laws—rooted in the National Gambling Act of 2004—were written before the rise of smartphones. Attempts to modernise, such as the National Gambling Amendment Act of 2008, have stalled in Parliament for over a decade. The result is a regulatory grey zone: local apps face strict oversight, while unlicensed offshore apps operate freely".
The outdated legal framework has created a fragmented enforcement system, where both national and provincial authorities claim oversight, but neither have the resources or jurisdictional clarity to tackle illegal operators.
“The bifurcated structure gives rise to uncertainty about jurisdiction in cyberspace — a sphere that transcends provincial borders,”
She added that the NGB lacks the capacity to police the growing number of offshore platforms targeting South African consumers, despite their illegality under local law.
"Enforcement mechanisms are also inadequate. The NGB, by its own admission, devotes only a few officials to police a mushrooming online space, one that is host to dozens of prohibited offshore operators".
For help to quit gambling, call the The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation on its toll-free counselling line, 0800 006 008 Or WhatsApp/SMS HELP To 076 675 0710 or email to helpline@responsiblegambling.org.za
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