DEADLY STAKES: Young South Africans gamble with their lives in miserable web of online betting

Gambling is not a new phenomenon. From the gleaming slot machines on casino floors to playing dice on a street corner, it remains popular among young and old. However, online gambling, made accessible largely by smartphones, has become an even more attractive option to those wanting to try their luck.

In 2020, author and media personality Khaya Dlanga opened up on Instagram about his younger brother’s suicide. He talked about his struggle with online gambling and a “spiral of an addiction he could not get himself out [of]”. In a particularly heartwrenching reflection, Dlanga wrote: “Everyday I look at the R5.40 he left next to the suicide note. Four one rands, two 50 cents and two 20 cent coins.

“Initially, I would say, ‘What’s R100?’ and eventually began putting in between R500 to R1,000,” she says. “You could do it on the phone and it mimicked the slots I was already used to. I kept putting my money in a black hole and eventually didn’t even have money for food. I would get some money back but use that as credit to earn more money in an endless cycle.”

Myeni initially kept her gambling addiction a secret, Motsiane says. But once it was out in the open she became a lot more comfortable with showing her friend the reality of her addiction. “She was now comfortable with asking me to buy her a voucher or airtime. Now we’re at a point where, when we spend time together, she spends the whole day on her phone gambling.”

Keitumetse Disemelo, a clinical psychologist based in Pretoria, describes addiction as a condition with many moving parts. “It impacts one’s daily functioning, and there is a lack of control in staying away from the specific behaviour. Individuals become dependent on this behaviour and make spontaneous decisions despite negative consequences that they themselves are aware of. Denialism is also key to addiction.

“The family being supportive is important as well as the understanding that the addiction cannot be overcome overnight. Also, trying to remove the things that cause the behaviour is possible. For example, removing the internet with regards to online gambling.”The house always wins is a well-known adage, and gambling in all its forms is based on statistical odds. Notwithstanding the jackpot winners and rags-to-riches stories, the house always wins.

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