A new national study conducted by local research technology company Yazi has revealed concerning insights into the realities of online gambling in South Africa, uncovering a pattern of financial sacrifice, informal borrowing and loss-chasing behaviour that often sits beneath the industry’s rapid growth.
The South African Gambling Impact Study, conducted among 1 028 South Africans who had gambled online within the previous 30 days, combines quantitative survey data with 2 569 participant voice notes collected via WhatsApp, providing one of the most detailed examinations of online gambling behaviour ever undertaken in South Africa.
Among the study’s most notable findings are:
- 90% of respondents had gambled online in the last 30 days;
- 57% reported sacrificing essentials such as groceries, airtime, transport, rent or debt repayments to fund gambling;
- 29% said they had borrowed money to gamble;
- 59% admitted to chasing losses by placing additional bets on the same day;
- 28% were unaware that gambling operators provide limit-setting tools designed to manage spending; and
- 61% of respondents were women, challenging traditional assumptions that online gambling is predominantly a male behaviour.
While most respondents described themselves as being in control of their gambling habits, the research revealed a more nuanced reality. Nearly one in four respondents reported allocating more than 10% of their monthly income to gambling, while many participants described using money originally intended for transport, groceries, family support and even social grants to fund betting activity.
One of the study’s most revealing findings was what Yazi calls the “self-image dilemma”. While 72% of respondents described themselves as being in control of their gambling, 59% admitted to chasing losses by placing additional bets on the same day after losing.
The findings suggest that many South Africans do not see themselves as problem gamblers, even when engaging in behaviours commonly associated with financial risk.
This creates a unique challenge for operators, regulators and responsible-gambling programmes, as interventions are unlikely to succeed if they frame users as irresponsible. Instead, the data suggests that tools and messaging should work with consumers’ self-perception of being responsible and in control, rather than against it.
The human story behind the data
Yazi says the study was never intended to be solely about gambling. Instead, the project was designed to explore whether modern research methods could uncover a more honest understanding of complex societal issues than traditional surveys typically allow.
Using Yazi’s AI-powered WhatsApp research platform, respondents were able to answer questions conversationally using text, voice notes and AI-assisted follow-up questions, creating a level of depth rarely captured at national scale. The study was completed in just two days and generated more than 17 000 structured data points alongside 2 569 voice notes, giving researchers unprecedented access to the lived experiences behind the statistics.
Tim Treagus, CEO of Yazi, says the study highlights a much bigger challenge facing organisations trying to understand people today. “The real story isn’t gambling. It’s what happens when you give people a space to tell the truth. That’s what this research unlocked. Our findings demonstrate how conversational research can surface realities that often remain hidden in traditional surveys. We believe some of society’s most important questions remain unanswered because traditional research methods struggle to capture honest human experiences at scale. This study shows a different way is indeed possible.”
According to Simon Ellis, co-founder and CEO of Jem, and public advocate for gambling guardrails, one of the most concerning findings is that gambling appears to be shifting from a recreational activity to a perceived financial solution for people under pressure.
He also believes the findings highlight the need for greater public awareness and stronger interventions to address gambling-related harm. “What stood out to me in the report was the number of people borrowing money to gamble and putting themselves in increasingly difficult financial positions.
“The reality is that many South Africans are struggling to make ends meet, and some are turning to gambling not for entertainment, but because they see it as a way to make money. Gambling is no longer just a leisure activity for many people; it’s becoming a response to financial pressure, and unfortunately that often leaves people worse off than before.”
According to Yazi, one of the most powerful aspects of the study was the volume of candid voice-note responses received from participants. Respondents openly discussed losing transport money, grocery budgets, family-support funds and grant money while attempting to recover gambling losses. Others described strained relationships, mounting financial pressure and struggles to stop gambling despite knowing the consequences.
These disclosures formed a key part of the study’s analysis and provided context that traditional quantitative methods alone often fail to capture.
According to Wandile Sishi, head of insights at Yazi, the most valuable aspect of the study was not the headline statistics, but the human stories behind them. “Over 2 500 voice notes gave us something rare: the human story behind the statistics. That’s where the real insight lives. These findings demonstrate the value of combining large-scale quantitative research with real-world consumer conversations. Traditional research tells you what people do. The voice notes helped us understand why they do it.”