Share

Fewer South Africans take to gambling

Johannesburg - Fewer South Africans are gambling now compared to 2001, Professor Peter Collins, executive director of the National Responsible Gambling Programme, said on Friday.

The percentage of citizens who never gamble has risen from 30 in 2001 to over 50 this year, he told parliament's portfolio committee on trade and industry, according to a statement from the programme.

"The number of problem gamblers in the country has also declined from 3% in 2008 to 1% in 2011."

The committee is holding public hearings into gambling as part of a review of South African gambling legislation.

"This figure is similar to that found in European and other English speaking jurisdictions and considerably higher than the number in Asia," Collins said.

"However, in South Africa, poor people are disproportionately likely to gamble too much on cheaper forms of gambling such as the lottery and illegal games such as iFafi, dice and cards, which is commonly played in and around township shebeens."

Collins said South Africa's gambling laws and regulations were as good as those found anywhere in the world.

The committee held public hearings in response to a gambling review report written by a commission established by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies in December 2009. The report was tabled in parliament in June.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.93
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.44
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.1%
Platinum
906.59
+1.1%
Palladium
1,012.66
+1.1%
Gold
2,221.01
+1.2%
Silver
24.85
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders