Nearly three quarters (72%) of South African online gamblers describe themselves as being in control of their gambling – but a new study indicates that the reality might be very different.
A national study by Yazi reveals a more troubling reality beneath the industry’s rapid growth: widespread financial sacrifice, informal borrowing and loss-chasing behaviours that suggest many gamblers may be far more vulnerable than they perceive themselves to be.
The study was conducted using Yazi’s WhatsApp-based research platform and analysed 2 569 participant voice notes alongside quantitative survey responses, creating one of the most detailed examinations of online gambling behaviour undertaken in South Africa to date.
The finding forms the basis of what Yazi has termed the “self-image dilemma” – a contradiction uncovered in the data where gamblers overwhelmingly view themselves as responsible and in control, while simultaneously reporting behaviours commonly associated with gambling harm.
The South African Gambling Impact Study, conducted in May 2026 among 1 028 South Africans who had gambled online in the previous 30 days, aimed to understand the hidden human cost of online gambling and found that:
- 57% of participants had sacrificed essentials such as groceries, airtime, transport money, rent or debt repayments to fund their gambling;
- 29% had borrowed money to gamble;
- 59% admitted to chasing losses by placing another bet on the same day after losing;
- 28% were unaware that gambling operators provide limit-setting tools designed to manage spending;
- 61% of respondents were women, challenging traditional assumptions that online gambling is predominantly a male behaviour;
- 26% spent more than 10% of their monthly income on gambling; and,
- 5% said that they could not stop gambling, even when they tried to.
Taken together, the findings reveal what may be the study’s most important insight: many South Africans continue to view themselves as responsible gamblers while engaging in behaviours that suggest otherwise.
Evidence for this came from the stories behind the numbers, collected from thousands of direct voice notes over WhatsApp. Respondents admitted, among other things:
- “I had my last R200 for transport for the week and I decided to play slots and I lost all of it.”
- “Last time I was playing with SASSA money. I lost all that money. I won’t forget that day. Too much pain.”
- “I am addicted to gambling. I think I need help.”
According to Tim Treagus, CEO of Yazi, the contradiction between perception and reality sits at the heart of the findings: “The real story that needs to be told here isn’t simply about online gambling. It’s about what happens when you give people a space to tell the truth. That is what our research unlocked today.
Treagus says the self-image dilemma highlights the need for a deeper understanding of how South Africans are navigating financial pressure, risk and gambling behaviour.
Khaya Dlanga, former Coca-Cola South Africa marketing executive, former CMO of Rain and award-winning author, has become an outspoken advocate for greater accountability in the gambling industry following the loss of his brother to suicide after an online gambling addiction.
Commenting on the study’s findings, Dlanga says: “What concerns me most is not that people are gambling. It’s that so many appear to be gambling while under financial strain. When people start sacrificing essentials, borrowing money, or believing the next bet might solve a cash-flow problem, we’re no longer talking about entertainment. We’re talking about vulnerability.”
The broader significance of the study extends far beyond the gambling industry. Yazi believes the findings demonstrate the growing importance of conversational research methodologies in an increasingly mobile-first world. Many traditional surveys continue to struggle with declining response rates and limited qualitative depth, particularly when exploring sensitive or emotionally complex topics.
By combining WhatsApp conversations, AI-assisted interviewing and large-scale qualitative analysis, organisations can access richer insight without sacrificing speed or scale. The company hopes the report will contribute to broader discussions among regulators, policymakers, financial institutions, researchers and civil society organisations about the realities of online gambling in South Africa.
More broadly, Yazi sees the study as evidence that there are important stories hidden across South African society that are not being measured today, stories relating to financial stress, mobility, healthcare, education, consumer behaviour, energy, public policy and social impact.
You can download the full report here.