Sun International wants to bar Nsfas, Sassa recipients from online gambling, but here’s the challenge

Sun International wants to stop National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) beneficiaries and South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant recipients from gambling on its platforms, but says its ability to enforce such restrictions is limited.

The country’s leading leisure, hospitality and gaming group launched its Responsible Gambling Charter on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, as concerns grow over allegations that young people are using money intended for education and basic needs to gamble.

The concerns include Nsfas-funded students and recipients of Sassa’s Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants, whose funds are meant to support their education and help cover essential living expenses.

The SRD grant was introduced during the Covid‑19 pandemic to offer temporary financial support to unemployed adults who did not already receive other social grants. South Africans aged 18 to 59 receive the grant worth R370.

Gambling has caused problems at home

Chief executive Ulrik Bengtsson said most people gamble for enjoyment, but for some it can cause problems at home, in their social lives, with money or with their mental health.

The Charter recognises this as problem gambling and sets out what licensed operators should do to reduce the risks, working with regulators and other stakeholders.

“Responsible gambling is a shared responsibility. We cannot control every player’s behaviour, but we can make it easier for people to stay in control. On our online platform, limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion are available in one click from the home page. These tools can protect players, but only if they use them.”

Sun International moves to protect youth

The Charter, launched in Johannesburg, listed nine key commitments, including protecting social grant and student funding recipients.

Sun International aims to restrict Nsfas-funded students and Sassa recipients from creating an online account, but the success of this goal depends on whether gamblers declare they are recipients of the two.

“Sun International will not activate an online account if a customer declares they receive a SASSA social grant or Nsfas,” reads the charter. “The company cannot access social grant or student funding records, so this depends on customers declaring their source of income accurately.”

Youth at risk

Nsfas-funded students and SRD grant recipients were put in the spotlight at last year’s Responsible Gambling Summit.

Sibongile Simelane-Quntana from the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) said the foundation’s data show most gamblers in the country are unemployed youth.

“It saddens me that in a country where unemployment is so high, we see that most people affected by gambling are the youth, the youth that is supposed to build the country,” she said.

Simelane-Quntana added that the most worrying data suggests that a large group of gamblers are SRD recipients.

“The people who are also significantly affected are your social grant recipients, especially those who receive the SRD grants. They are the ones who are actually gambling the most. They take the money that is meant to keep them afloat and gamble it,” she said.

Key commitments by Sun International

Some of the key commitments outlined in the Responsible Gambling Charter by Sun International include:

• Advertising watershed:

  Sun International will not place time-dependent broadcast or display advertising between 6am and 8am or between 12pm and 6pm. This reduces minors’ exposure during school-run and after-school hours and goes beyond current regulatory requirements.

• Accessible player protection:

  Where the law and technology allow, Sun International offers self-exclusion across its platforms, as well as visible tools such as limits, cooling-off periods and self-assessments. Reality checks are being developed. Free, confidential counselling is available through recognised industry facilities.

• Player education:

  Responsible gambling information and safety tools will be easy to find. Campaigns will explain the risks, the support available and how players can use the tools to manage their gambling.

• Early identification:

  From 2027, data analytics and, where appropriate, AI-supported monitoring will help flag behaviour that may indicate a player is at risk, so trained staff can respond. People will review all automated alerts. Responsible gambling data will not be used to encourage more gambling or increase a player’s commercial value.

Can the youth be saved?

Sean Coleman, CEO of the South African Bookmakers Association, referring to research by Yield Sec, said illegal gambling is a big problem, as it accounts for at least 62% of the total gambling market. At least 16 million South Africans are thought to use illegal gaming sites.

Most of the 16 million people are the youth who are SRD and Nsfas recipients. Coleman proposed a ban that would prevent these recipients from using the money to gamble.

Coleman said: “Most of our interactions with the SARGF have been on whether the Department of Social Development could interact with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and provide us with controlled access to the Sassa database and immediately exclude customers who are attempting to sign up.

“The same applies to Nsfas. As an industry, we don’t want to onboard customers who are Sassa grant recipients or Nsfas beneficiaries. That money is destined for other things and should achieve those end goals in terms of what the government wants to do.”

However, he anticipates there might be hurdles, such as the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia), in accessing this information. However, he said if the country is serious about tackling the gambling challenge, authorisation may need to become a condition.

Fight against unlicensed offshore sites

Bengtsson said Sun International’s charter can only protect a player who enters their venues or logs on to platforms. However, these protections are not available on unlicensed offshore sites.

“Government, regulators and the licensed industry all have a part to play in keeping players in licensed channels, where they are protected. We can improve our own standards, but we cannot protect people who gamble with unlicensed operators.

“Rules or taxes that make licensed operators less competitive than offshore sites will push players towards platforms where they have no protection. We support responsible regulation that keeps players in the licensed market, where safeguards apply, and gambling revenue supports the state.

“We believe firmly that South Africa needs a consistent national regulatory framework, and we welcome moves in this direction. With government preparing new gambling legislation and National Treasury’s tax proposals on the table, now is the right time to have a serious discussion about responsible regulation.”