Limpopo government urges gamblers to be responsible

POLOKWANE – A recent study of the socio-economic impact of gambling in the province showed that roughly one third of the residents of the province engage in the activity regularly.

The study, that was commissioned by the Limpopo Gambling Board, points out bookmakers, i.e. sports betting, as the preferred gambling mode. In terms of numbers, the lottery, limited pay-out machines and bingo combined account for roughly the same number as those residents who opt for sports betting.

Economic Development, Environment and Tourism MEC, Rodgers Monama, recently launched the Limpopo edition of November as Responsible Gambling Month, with the aim of raising awareness around the negative effects of gambling.

The study points out that age-wise, it is mostly those between 35 and 45 who gamble, with pensioners least likely to engage in this activity. Indicating what other activity they engage in when gambling, a significant number of residents indicated that they watch sport, which confirms the overall finding that sports and online betting is on the rise.

In terms of economic status, gambling is engaged in mostly those who are self-employed, or who are employed part-time, while geographically, the Mopani district accounts for the highest number of gamblers in the province, followed by the Waterberg.

In the category of those earning between R10 000 and R14 999 a month, roughly 46% indicated that they gamble to supplement their income. Across the board, residents indicated that gambling had to some effect had a negatively effect on their debt levels, whether through losing a property, being unable to meet debt repayments or having lost a job.

According to the MEC, illegal gambling has mushroomed in the province in recent years.

At an event held at Bosveld Scrap Metals in Ladine on October 24 to dispose of illegal gambling machines, Monama remarked that the department is on a mission to root out illegal gambling operators as this income is not accounted for and costs the provincial fiscus dearly. In the first half of the 2023/24 financial year, the board’s law enforcement unit in collaboration with the police, confiscated 435 illegal machines, a number that already surpassed the 477 that were confiscated in the entire 2022/23 year. He said most illegal machines were confiscated from spaza shops owned by foreign nationals.

Residents in the city Polokwane Observer approached randomly, all confirmed that they bet online between R5 and R100 at least once a day in the hope of augmenting their monthly income, and to cover living costs such as transport or groceries.