Rising youth unemployment: National Gambling Board urges responsible gambling

The National Gambling Board (NGB) has warned South Africans to exercise caution and prioritize their household finances following a study that found 55% of problem gamblers are aged between 25 and 34. The NGB issued this caution after Statistics South Africa’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey showed that the official unemployment rate rose from 32.7% in Q1 to 33.6% in Q2 of 2026, with 345,000 more South Africans now unemployed.

Young people aged 15 to 24 faced the greatest economic challenges, with 36.4% neither in employment, education nor training. The NGB emphasized that gambling should never be considered an income source, unemployment remedy, or solution to financial hardship. Their 2023 and 2024 Socio-Economic Impact of Gambling study revealed that gambling participation peaks among those aged 25 to 34, with 77% of respondents in this age group participating.

Moreover, 55% of identified problem gamblers fall into this age bracket. The NGB cautioned that severe economic strain can make gambling seem like an attractive quick-fix. They found that more than half (54%) of gamblers use winnings to buy basic household necessities, while 43% use them to pay debts or bills. NGB Acting CEO Lungile Dukwana stressed that gambling always comes with the risk of financial loss and that chasing losses can exacerbate financial distress.

During difficult times, Dukwana emphasized, every rand matters—food, accommodation, transport, education, and debt repayments must come before gambling. NGB urged young South Africans not to view sports betting and other forms of gambling as alternatives to earning a legitimate income. They expressed concern over the high economic exclusion experienced by young people and urged them to pursue sustainable employment, education, or other legitimate opportunities for economic participation.