What begins as a quick fix for empty cupboards is fast turning into a dangerous cycle of debt and addiction for many students.
For some, online gambling, often introduced through “free spins” and easy sign-ups, has become a survival tactic while waiting for National Student Financial Aid Scheme funding (NSFAS), with devastating consequences.
It all started with free spins that won Noxolo*, a third-year student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, R500.
At the time, she was a first-year student still waiting for her funding from the NSFAS.
“I had just arrived on campus, and my parents didn’t give me much because we all knew NSFAS would cover accommodation and fees. But a week became two weeks, then a month. I ran out of…