Page 5 - 24 October 2025

THE REPORTER 24 OCTOBER 2025 · PAGE 5

Continued from the Front Page “My mom was betting on the or quick money.”
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Lotto, and my grandmother She said young people
and Siyabonga Goni was betting on horses. With should be aware that these
my R1,600 monthly NSFAS
allowance, I took R1,000 for influencers are not genuine
and that they should rather
groceries, and the other focus on studying so they
R600 I wanted to make can earn money.
more. I would put in R100,
and it got chewed, and I kept Advertising and gambling
betting higher and not Daily Maverick spoke to Rise
getting anything back. This Mzansi’s chief whip,
game gave me hope that I Makashule Gana, who
would win. Even if I won, I
would continue betting recently sounded the alarm
again,” said Madingana. i n Pa r l i a m e n t a b o u t
gambling becoming a crisis
Madingana said he stopped t h a t n e e d s u r g e n t
gambling five months ago addressing.
winning. When the book A second-year student in after his partner told him to
allowance came in, I had Public Management at WSU, stop because she no longer “Gambling companies] are
already been in debt, and it Mudzanani Thuvhusiwi, said trusted him with money. advertising 24/7 and
was not enough because I he started gambling in 2017 disregarding regulations on
had to buy groceries and a and became increasingly Feeding the addiction the level of advertising.
phone, and send money addicted to it. A clinical psychologist, Dr Unfortunately, people are
home. I again took money, “In 2025, I used my whole Keitumetse Mashego, said falling for this advertising;
and I was betting on Aviator NSFAS book allowance – that when it came to the effect of gambling has
[an online gambling game] R5,200 – (on) gambling. I gambling addiction, “What led to people committing
on Betway. suicide, and it reduces
was using almost every we see is when someone productivity, and in the case
“ E v e n a t h o m e , m y betting site, like Betway, c a n n o t m a k e s o u n d of students, it will decrease
grandmother was asking for Sportbet and Hollywood- decisions, meaning that concentration in the
the money because I have a bets, to get free vouchers. I even when they’re losing, classroom,” said Gana.
child at home. I ended up tried to recover by borrowing they keep going back. So
lying to them, saying that I at least R4,000 from people. some start to steal, borrow, Gana has asked the minister
d i d n o t r e c e i v e m y I tried to pay them back, and or beg just to feed their of trade, industry and
allowance. I went to borrow now I still need to pay R700 addiction. competition, Parks Tau, to
again from people. In May to one person,” said “Gambling is so accessible ensure that gambling
2025, people started Thuvhusiwi. now, on the phone and TV. c o m p a n i e s r e d u c e
advertising and the use of
harassing me, as they “I am in pursuit of a soft life. E v e n h o w t h e y a r e influencers.
wanted their money, and I Sometimes you see people advertised, the use of lights
decided to leave my school winning a lot of money, and I stimulates certain parts in “ T h e r e n e e d s t o b e
for home. At home, I used to also want to win. However, I your brain. The use of regulations that regulate the
take the money that I was used to lose focus in class, influencers — they are the times that the gambling
given and bet with it,” she and I ended up sleeping face of betting, and it’s the companies can advertise;
said. because it was painful. I tried same as how drug lords use they must also deal with the
counselling, and I was told to people … the influencers are use of influencers on social
“Students at my residence
close all my accounts.” being used by these media because some of
were posting me in student these things are a result of
groups and taking my Gambling learnt at home companies to lure people
in,” said Mashego. social media, in which they
belongings, as they wanted A University of Johannes- pretend they are winning and
t h e i r m o n e y b a c k . burg student, Nkateko “People are unemployed, living large.
Eventually, I came back and Madingana, said he grew up people don’t have money,
tried to pay them back and in a household where and the cost of living is so
get back my belongings. I gambling was a normal high, so people are always
was embarrassed,” she said. practice. lured into wanting quick fixes

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