JohannesburgSouth Africans wagered more than R1-trillion last year.
Provincial rules built for casinos can’t police the sportsbooks now taking 60% of that money.
Online betting grew from R10-billion in 2018 to over R150-billion by 2023, partly funded by 2020 Covid-19 relief grants.
“It’s in your pocket, it’s on your Android phone, it’s private...” said Anwar Parker, a psychologist who treats gambling-affected youth.
Parliament has not acted on the 2014 Remote Gambling Bill as helpline calls top 1 million a year.
How each outlet framed it
- Daily Maverick leans critical
- traces R150-billion online gambling boom to government's Covid relief grants and frictionless smartphone/banking app integration
Sources: Daily Maverick