Archive post. Shared by SAMNET on 9 November 2025. Published here as part of SAMNET’s advocacy archive.
More than a hundred organisations made input on a call to action against online gambling at a meeting in Durban.
Dr Brandon Pillay, one of the organisers, said civil society and advocacy groups, youth and women’s groups and faith-based organisations had gathered to address what they called the silent crisis facing families through the rise of online gambling.
The declaration
The civil society declaration on the harm of online gambling states that its rapid rise preys on the young, destroys families and undermines national wellbeing — and that unregulated 24-hour betting apps and relentless digital advertising have created a storm of addiction, debt and despair.
The meeting called on government to follow India’s approach and implement a complete ban on all forms of online gambling.
Other proposals in the memorandum
- A mass march to mobilise citizens.
- A ban on gambling advertising.
- A freeze on new licences.
- A national enforcement task force to act against illegal operators.
- A petition to the President, to Parliament and to provincial governments.
“Let us build a nation where technology uplifts, not destroys, where profit never outweighs people,” Pillay said.
This is what SAMNET has been arguing for since 2024 — and the significant thing here is not the content of the demands but the fact that a hundred organisations, across faith and secular lines, arrived at them together. That is the coalition the industry has not had to face until now.
How civil society in Durban is tackling the online gambling crisis — IOL, 8 November 2025.
If gambling is affecting you or someone close to you, SADAG can be reached on 0800 567 567 and the National Responsible Gambling Programme counselling line on 0800 006 008.
Contact SAMNET on info@samnet.co.za or WhatsApp 084 333 3979.
Related
South Africa’s Gambling Problem Can Be Beaten · South Africa’s Growing Gambling Problem · Shifting Focus From Consequences to Prevention
Shared by the South African Muslim Network (SAMNET) in the interest of highlighting the gambling crisis and the critical role of an active, collective civil society.