The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (the Foundation) is South Africa’s leading public health management not-for-profit organisation dedicated to minimising gambling-related harm affecting individuals and their families. The Foundation operates within South Africa’s socio-economic complexities, fuelled by high unemployment, inequality, and financial pressures which often drive vulnerable people to gamble out of desperation, hoping for a financial escape or a source of income. Because of these harsh realities, we cannot treat gambling addiction as a simple personal failure. Instead, we look beyond the individual and address gambling harm as a broader public health crisis that directly threatens the survival of entire families and communities. Through our flagship initiative, the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP), we advocate for treating gambling harm as a public health issue that impacts entire communities.

As a registered Public Benefit Organisation, we are a strategic partner at the forefront of managing gambling harm. Our operational mandate and authority is anchored in the National Gambling Regulations of 2004, which legally integrate the NRGP into the advertising, player protection guidelines. We therefore advocate for player protection, regulatory reforms, and for operators to build safer environments. However, even with protective measures in place, it is almost certain that some people will develop gambling addiction. This is where the Foundation steps in to provide free treatment and counselling to help those affected rebuild their lives.

In terms of its legal formation, the Foundation is incorporated under the Companies Act (Act no. 71 of 2008, as amended). Whilst the Foundation is funded by the South African gambling industry, it operates independently from the gambling industry with its own governance structures. The governance structure of the Foundation was conceptualised as a public private-partnership between the gambling industry regulators and operators, with its funding model woven into their licensing conditions of gambling operators and capped at 0.1% of the industry’s Gross Gambling Revenue (GGR) (i.e., money staked less money paid out in winnings), since the inception of the Foundation in 2004.

The Foundation conducts population-wide screening of problem gambling using scientific instruments such as the Problem Gambling Severity Index. Through advocacy and communication, the Foundation educates the public about the potentially harmful effects of excessive gambling, whilst conducting research to inform its programmes and areas of intervention. Lastly, the  Foundation’s education and training programmes provide industry-wide training on responsible gambling and harm-reduction strategies, as well as employer and employee wellness services.