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Cape Town - Problem gambling levels have remained relatively constant despite the significant growth in the size of the gambling industry, according to the report of the Gambling Review Commission tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.
This suggests that the regulators as well as the National Responsible Gambling Programme have been relatively successful in their harm minimisation measures, the report says.
The commission was established in December 2009 by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.
"South Africa is the only developing country in the world that can claim to have good information about gambling behaviour," it says.
"The information available indicates that the number of adults who gamble regularly has dropped from 86% in 2005 to 42% in 2008."
Overall, the three most popular forms of gambling are casino gambling, the lotto and scratch cards, irrespective of race or income group.
It would appear that levels of participation correlate closely with income.
Persons in lower income groups are less likely to gamble than persons in higher income groups, with 71% of the lowest income cluster abstaining from gambling, while 58% and 65% in the two highest income clusters do not participate in gambling at all.
A worrying trend is the growing significance of informal (and hence illegal) gambling in South Africa, the report says.
In South Africa, three categories of gamblers are identified - recreational gamblers who gamble on social occasions with friends or colleagues, problem gamblers in the broader sense of gamblers who spend more time and money than they are able to afford on gambling, and problem gamblers in the narrow sense of compulsive or pathological gamblers.
Treatment of compulsive gamblers is especially difficult and has low success rates.
Compulsive gamblers invariably have multiple addictions, such as gambling, alcohol and substance abuse, which contributes to their poor prognosis.
No room for complacency
"In South Africa, we find that the level of problem gambling rose significantly in 2003 due to the novelty factor associated with the introduction of the national lottery, but declined shortly thereafter.
"Since 2005 it has remained relatively constant. The fact that problem gambling levels have remained relatively constant, despite the significant growth in the size of the gambling industry in this same period, suggests that the regulators as well as the National Responsible Gambling Programme have been relatively successful in their harm minimisation measures," the report says.
However, there is no room for complacency. Although comparisons between different countries are difficult to make, it appears as if South African problem gambling levels are higher than those encountered in Europe, roughly in line with the US, and slightly lower than the levels found in Asian countries.
Furthermore, the relationship between problem gambling and informal gambling is especially problematic, and requires careful attention.
South Africa should pay particular attention to new forms of gambling.
"We simply do not know what the impact of online gambling will be."
Although it would be wrong to conclude that there is an underage gambling crisis in South Africa, it is clear that this is a troubling and possibly growing trend.
The commission is especially concerned about reports that some youth in impoverished areas claim that they gamble in order to buy basic necessities and pay schools fees.
South Africa has a host of measures in place at present, which would assist with the minimisation of the negative impact of gambling.
Some of the measures are not effectively implemented at present and some gaps exist.
Particular areas of concern relate to the effective exclusion of minors and self-excluded persons from gambling activities.
The commission says more onerous requirements, such as mandatory identity checking, as is the case in Singapore, should be considered only if the industry cannot find ways to effectively implement current provisions.
This suggests that the regulators as well as the National Responsible Gambling Programme have been relatively successful in their harm minimisation measures, the report says.
The commission was established in December 2009 by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.
"South Africa is the only developing country in the world that can claim to have good information about gambling behaviour," it says.
"The information available indicates that the number of adults who gamble regularly has dropped from 86% in 2005 to 42% in 2008."
Overall, the three most popular forms of gambling are casino gambling, the lotto and scratch cards, irrespective of race or income group.
It would appear that levels of participation correlate closely with income.
Persons in lower income groups are less likely to gamble than persons in higher income groups, with 71% of the lowest income cluster abstaining from gambling, while 58% and 65% in the two highest income clusters do not participate in gambling at all.
A worrying trend is the growing significance of informal (and hence illegal) gambling in South Africa, the report says.
In South Africa, three categories of gamblers are identified - recreational gamblers who gamble on social occasions with friends or colleagues, problem gamblers in the broader sense of gamblers who spend more time and money than they are able to afford on gambling, and problem gamblers in the narrow sense of compulsive or pathological gamblers.
Treatment of compulsive gamblers is especially difficult and has low success rates.
Compulsive gamblers invariably have multiple addictions, such as gambling, alcohol and substance abuse, which contributes to their poor prognosis.
No room for complacency
"In South Africa, we find that the level of problem gambling rose significantly in 2003 due to the novelty factor associated with the introduction of the national lottery, but declined shortly thereafter.
"Since 2005 it has remained relatively constant. The fact that problem gambling levels have remained relatively constant, despite the significant growth in the size of the gambling industry in this same period, suggests that the regulators as well as the National Responsible Gambling Programme have been relatively successful in their harm minimisation measures," the report says.
However, there is no room for complacency. Although comparisons between different countries are difficult to make, it appears as if South African problem gambling levels are higher than those encountered in Europe, roughly in line with the US, and slightly lower than the levels found in Asian countries.
Furthermore, the relationship between problem gambling and informal gambling is especially problematic, and requires careful attention.
South Africa should pay particular attention to new forms of gambling.
"We simply do not know what the impact of online gambling will be."
Although it would be wrong to conclude that there is an underage gambling crisis in South Africa, it is clear that this is a troubling and possibly growing trend.
The commission is especially concerned about reports that some youth in impoverished areas claim that they gamble in order to buy basic necessities and pay schools fees.
South Africa has a host of measures in place at present, which would assist with the minimisation of the negative impact of gambling.
Some of the measures are not effectively implemented at present and some gaps exist.
Particular areas of concern relate to the effective exclusion of minors and self-excluded persons from gambling activities.
The commission says more onerous requirements, such as mandatory identity checking, as is the case in Singapore, should be considered only if the industry cannot find ways to effectively implement current provisions.
