Responsible Gambling

Gambling can affect your finances, relationships and wellbeing. If you choose to gamble, treat the money spent as an entertainment cost and accept that you may lose it. Gambling is never a reliable way to earn an income or solve money problems.

Get support in South Africa

The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF), through the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP), provides free, confidential counselling and treatment for people and families affected by gambling harm.

You can ask for help before a problem becomes severe. Family members and other people affected by someone else’s gambling can seek support too.

Recognise the warning signs

Consider taking a break and speaking with a counsellor if you notice any of the following:

  • Spending more money or time gambling than you intended.
  • Returning to gambling to try to recover losses.
  • Borrowing money, selling possessions or using essential household money to gamble.
  • Hiding your gambling or feeling anxious, guilty or unable to stop.
  • Neglecting work, family responsibilities or other interests.

These signs are a prompt to seek support, not a diagnosis. The SARGF also offers a self-screening tool to help you reflect on your gambling.

Set limits before you start

Decide on a spending budget and a time limit in advance. Keep money for rent, food, bills, savings and other essentials separate. Do not borrow to fund gambling or increase your budget after losing.

Where your operator provides them, use deposit limits, loss limits, session reminders and time-outs. Check how each tool works and how long a requested change takes. Limits can reduce exposure, but they do not make gambling risk-free.

Avoid gambling when distressed or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Take regular breaks and keep other activities in your routine. Choosing not to gamble is always an option.

Take a break or request self-exclusion

A short time-out and formal self-exclusion are different tools. If gambling feels difficult to control, contact the operator and ask about its self-exclusion process. Ask which accounts, venues and products the exclusion covers, how long it lasts and how marketing will be stopped.

The National Gambling Board explains how to request exclusion through a gambling operator and recommends counselling alongside it. Read its self-exclusion guidance or ask the NRGP for help with the next steps.

Do not assume that excluding from one operator automatically blocks every other website. Consider additional blocking tools, removing saved payment details and asking your bank about available gambling-payment controls.

Protect children and young people

This website is intended for adults aged 18 and over. Anyone under 18 should not gamble. Keep account passwords and payment details private, sign out on shared devices and use parental controls where appropriate. Do not let a child use an adult’s betting account.

If you are concerned about someone else

Choose a calm time to talk about the effects you have noticed. Offer to help them contact a support service, while protecting your own finances and wellbeing. Covering gambling losses or lending more money can allow the problem to continue. The NRGP can also advise affected family members.

Our role

Rand Casino is an information and advertising website. We do not take bets, hold player balances or provide counselling. Our reviews and historical articles are not assurances that gambling is suitable for you. For personal support, contact the specialist services above.

Support details checked against SARGF and National Gambling Board information on 21 October 2026.

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