More than 1,300 people seeking help for gambling-related problems were identified as being at high risk of suicidal thoughts in 2025/26, with unmanageable debt, financial distress and mental-health challenges compounding the crisis.
The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) identified 1,345 people with a high suicide-ideation risk profile. Of those assessed, 83% had debt they could not manage, while 36 required psychiatric evaluations and 20 were admitted for 21-day inpatient treatment. A further 33% reported a family history of gambling.
The figures do not mean that 1,345 people attempted suicide or that gambling was the sole cause of their distress….