When Betting Is All You Have Left: Inside South Africa’s R1.5 Trillion Gambling Industry

South Africa’s gambling industry just hit R1.5 trillion and it’s not just for fun anymore. Behind the flashing lights are stories of poverty, desperation, and survival. In today’s episode of The Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi talks to Wendy Knowler, Consumer Journalist at News24, about how gambling has quietly become one of the country’s biggest social and economic fault lines.This episode is brought to you by global investment manager Ninety One: https://ninetyone.com/en/south-africa Produced by Emilie Gambade, Joel Seboa & Bernard Kotze Original Theme Music & Design by Bernard Kotze You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick00:42 Personal Stance on Gambling 01:20 Gambling in South Africa: A Growing Crisis 01:59 Shocking Statistics and Research 02:45 Interview with Wendy Nola: Consumer Insights 03:38 The Impact of Advertising on Gambling 05:45 The Rise of Online Gambling 06:13 Personal Stories of Gambling Addiction 06:50 Economic Desperation and Gambling 10:28 Regulatory Environment and Accountability 11:15 Behavioral Engineering and Advertising 12:28 The Role of Banks and Self-Imposed Blocks 14:26 The Need for Legislative Action 25:04 Addressing the Gambling Crisis Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.