Gambling harm: 1,345 help-seekers flagged as at high risk of suicidal ideation

In 2025/26, the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) identified 1,345 people seeking help for gambling-related problems as being at high risk of suicidal ideation. Among those assessed, 83% had unmanageable debt, 36 required psychiatric evaluations and 20 were admitted for 21-day inpatient treatment; 33% reported a family history of gambling. SARGF executive director Sibongile Simelane-Quntana said distress reflects interconnected factors, including financial hardship, substance use, family strain and conditions such as anxiety and depression. The foundation stressed that the figures do not mean those identified attempted suicide or that gambling was the sole cause of their distress.