South Africa’s gambling crisis is increasingly becoming a mental health crisis, with more than 1,300 people seeking help flagged as being at high risk of suicide.
According to The Citizen, data from the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation shows that 1,345 people were identified with high-risk suicidal ideation profiles during the 2025/26 financial year.
The figure came from 5,199 people screened as part of the foundation’s treatment onboarding process.
Mental Health Risks Go Beyond Gambling
SARGF executive director Sibongile Simelane-Quntana told The Citizen that gambling-related harm often overlaps with other serious pressures, including anxiety, depression, substance use and financial distress.
She said suicide risk, alcohol use and drug use are all assessed when people enter treatment because these problems can worsen one another.
The foundation’s own treatment programme also provides counselling and referrals for people experiencing gambling-related harm and associated mental health concerns.
Debt Is a Major Warning Sign
Financial distress was one of the strongest patterns identified in the data.
According to The Citizen, 83% of people assessed said they had debt they could no longer manage.
Only 17% said they were still managing their debt despite financial pressure.
The publication also reported that 35% of first-time callers recorded higher levels of alcohol consumption.
Some Cases Needed Intensive Treatment
The scale of the problem extended beyond counselling.
The Citizen reports that 36 people required psychiatric evaluations, while 20 were admitted to mental health facilities for 21-day inpatient treatment programmes.
A further 33% of those assessed reported a family history of gambling.
The findings point to a wider cycle in which gambling losses, debt and mental health problems can reinforce one another.
South Africa’s National Mental Health Policy Framework 2023–2030 estimates that depression and anxiety cost the country more than R61.2 billion in lost earnings.
Simelane-Quntana told The Citizen that earlier intervention should therefore be seen not only as a health measure, but as an investment in families, productivity and long-term economic resilience.