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Home Publications Data Story | How much South Africans actually spend on gambling


HOW MUCH SOUTH AFRICANS ACTUALLY SPEND ON GAMBLING

View the full March Quarterly Bulletin

Recent media reports claim households spent more than R1.5 trillion on gambling in 2024 – equivalent to over 20% of gross domestic product during this period. While South Africans are spending significantly more on gambling, the R1.5 trillion figure alone is misleading. The March 2026 edition of the Quarterly Bulletin explains why.


Gambling turnover increased more than fourfold in just nine years, from R358 billion in 2015 to about R1.5 trillion in 2024.


But gambling turnover is the total amount wagered, including money that is won and then bet again. To measure how much households actually spend on betting, it is better to look at gross gambling revenue (GGR) – which is calculated by taking all the money wagered and subtracting the winnings paid back to players.


GGR rose rapidly from R26.3 billion in 2015 to R74.5 billion in 2024 – but this is a far cry from the R1.5 trillion cited in reports.


Growth picked up after COVID‐19 as more people turned to online betting, but gambling remains a small part of overall household spending.


Gambling is classified under “games of chance” in the household expenditure and inflation statistics.


In 2024, games of chance represented 1.3% of total household spending, up from 1.1% in 2015. GGR as a percentage of total household spending also increased from 0.9% to 1.6%. However, household spending on essential goods and services also increased.

Although spending on gambling, especially online betting, has increased notably in recent years, its contribution to total household spending is small compared to essential goods and services.

Read the March 2026 edition of the Quarterly Bulletin for more insights.


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