Gambling now accounts for nearly 55% of household spending on recreation, sport, and culture in South Africa, reflecting a booming appetite for gambling amid significant financial pressures on consumers. This trend was highlighted in Statistics SA’s latest Stats Biz publication.
The official statistics agency reported that gross gambling revenue (GGR) reached R59.3 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, marking a remarkable 25.7% increase from R47.2 billion in 2022/23, and more than double the R23.3 billion recorded in 2020/21. The rise in gambling popularity is largely attributed to the growth of online betting platforms, which now account for 60.5% of industry GGR at R35.9 billion.
The National Gambling Board noted that GGR growth across different gambling modes has been uneven, with betting being the fastest-growing segment, increasing by 51.2% compared to the previous year.
Gambling and betting activities are included as one of 391 products and services in the 2025 consumer price index (CPI) basket, which also covers lottery tickets, casinos, bingo, and Limited Payout Machines. Gambling represents 1.6% of total household spending, making it the twelfth highest weight in the CPI basket—just behind beer. Within the recreation, sport, and culture category, which has a weight of 2.86%, gambling takes up just over half of household spending.
Financial Pressures on South Africans
The significant spending on gambling comes with serious financial implications. Old Mutual’s 2025 Savings and Investments Monitor revealed that 52% of working South Africans gamble, with the highest participation among men aged 30 to 49. Alarmingly, 40% of these individuals gamble frequently, often in hopes of making money to cover expenses and debts. This trend is especially pronounced among lower-income earners, with nearly half of those earning between R8,000 and R15,000 gambling regularly to meet their financial obligations.
South African consumers are facing severe financial strain due to rising living costs and stagnant salaries. Nedbank reported that the household debt-to-income ratio remains alarmingly high, with the Reserve Bank’s latest Quarterly Bulletin showing an increase from 62.2% in Q4 2024 to 62.7% in Q1 2025.
Moreover, many South Africans are unprepared for retirement, as highlighted in 10X Investments’ Retirement Reality Report 2023/2024, which found that only 6% of the population is on track to retire comfortably. A broader issue is the inability of many South Africans to save money, making them vulnerable to financial emergencies. Over 80% of middle-income households have little to no emergency savings, with 27% lacking any accessible savings and more than half holding less than a week’s take-home pay in reserve.
Compounding these challenges, South Africa’s unemployment rate has risen in 2025, with the official rate increasing by 0.3 percentage points to 33.2% in the second quarter. This economic context highlights the troubling reliance on gambling as a source of financial hope for many South Africans.