Solidarity report says online gambling in South Africa grew 390% in four years
The Solidarity Research Institute reported on 13 October 2026 that online gambling in South Africa grew 390% between 2021 and 2025, with about R1.5 trillion wagered in 2024/25 and R74.5 billion kept by operators. The union is calling for stricter enforcement and advertising limits.
This is a South African report about the market our readers play in. It shows how large and mostly online the sector has become, and it adds pressure on the government to tighten advertising and enforcement against unlicensed online casinos. That could change what offshore sites may promote to South Africans, and it is a strong reason to set personal limits.
What the report says
Solidarity, a South African trade union and civil rights organisation, released a research report on online gambling on Tuesday 13 October 2026. It was written by Theuns du Buisson of the Solidarity Research Institute. The headline finding is that online gambling in South Africa grew by 390% between 2021 and 2025.
The report puts the amount wagered across the whole industry in 2024/25 at about R1.5 trillion, with almost three-quarters of that placed online. That figure counts the same money being bet repeatedly. After paying out winnings, operators kept R74.5 billion in gross gambling revenue.
The concerns it raises
The author argues that phones have put the casino in everyone's pocket, and that gambling is increasingly presented as a way to earn extra income. Solidarity Helping Hand adds that losses fall on families, because money meant for food, school fees or rent can disappear.
The report refers to preliminary National Gambling Board research suggesting that more people are taking out reckless loans and using social grants to gamble. Those claims are reported as preliminary, and we have not seen the underlying Board data. It also cites international research linking online gambling to a two to fourfold higher chance of problem gambling than other forms.
What Solidarity wants
The report calls for stricter enforcement of existing law against online casino games, action against those who advertise them, tighter limits on betting advertising and consideration of a ban on using sports stars in gambling adverts. Solidarity plans to use the report to lobby for these changes. These are an advocacy group's proposals, not government policy.
What it means for South African players
The report supports a point we make across the site: interactive casino games are not licensed in South Africa, and offshore sites that take South African players operate outside local consumer protection. If you gamble, treat it as paid entertainment, set a strict budget you can afford to lose, and never use borrowed money or grant payments. If gambling is causing harm, contact the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation.
Watch for how the government responds. Advertising limits or tighter enforcement against offshore sites would change what South African players can see and access.