Recent figures show that nearly 80% of South Africans gamble at least occasionally and that the activity is widely accepted as social entertainment. Lottery playing remains ahead of the game, with slot machines, scratch cards and the horses also firm favourites. Overall provincial and national government collected R2.7 billion (US$ 444.46 million) in gaming taxes for the 2003/4 financial year. Over the last seven years of gambling regulation the industry has created around 100,000 jobs and brought in billions of Rand in new investment.

Other than the National Lottery, the casino industry has the largest share of the gaming market revenue. The percentage of revenue that went to Government in 2004 was nearly 37% compared to just over 6% to shareholders. Replacement expansion and growth accounted for almost 26%. Of the nine South African provinces Gauteng, which includes the Johannesburg area, has the highest gross gambling revenue (GGR) at 44.9% in 2003/4, with KwaZulu-Natal following some way behind at 18.8%.

Measures to reduce the rate of problem gambling have long been a priority for gaming companies in South Africa. The Casino Association of South Africa (Casa) on 1 August 2005 enacted a formal Code of Conduct to which its members have ascribed. In its Commitment to Customers, underage gambling and unattended children in casinos, alcohol, responsible advertising and illegal money lending are all matters undertaken to make responsible gambling an integral part of gaming operations in the country. The incidence of problem gambling in South Africa has remained close to the international norm despite the prevalence of gambling opportunities.

The Medical Director at the National Responsible Gambling Programme, Dr Rodger Meyer, says the increase in gambling activity showed that the industry is maturing and becoming a socially acceptable form of entertainment. He complimented the industry on taking problem gambling seriously and doing all it could reasonably be expected to do to prevent gambling addiction. (E-01.09.06)

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