Four definitive reports have been written by the South African National Responsible Gambling Programme on Gambling Behaviour and Problem Gambling in South Africa. The first was written in 2001, and followed by reports in 2003, 2006 and 2009. These reports were written by Profs. PC Collins and GDI Barr.

2001 report   2003 report   2006 report   2009 report

The objective of these reports was primarily to measure the incidence of “problem gambling” in the adult population of South Africa. In addition, these reports profiled the demographic character of SA gamblers and sought to establish, inter-alia, how familiar South Africans are with different forms of gambling, how much they participate in them and what their attitudes are towards gambling; the prevalence of problem and pathological/addictive gambling in South Africa; and to establish a baseline against which to measure future change.

In this set of research studies, gambling was defined as staking something valuable in the hope of winning a prize where the outcome is unknown to the participants. Investing on the stock market was excluded but playing the lottery, bingo and charity “jackpots” in newspapers were included as well as Fafi, scratch-cards, casino games and betting on horses and other sporting events. Of course, the characterisation of gambling as a vice or a recreation depends on moral judgements which vary in different cultures, at different points in history and amongst different individuals. It is not a function of the relative dangerousness or safeness of gambling compared with other activities which some people indulge in excessively and, thereby, harm themselves and others.

Other reports have been written, notably those commissioned by the National Gambling Board, the latest of these is the Socio-Economic impact of Legalised Gambling in South Africa, by Prof AA Ligthelm.

  Report by Prof AA Ligthelm