Responsible Gambling

The National Responsible Gambling Programme, Africa’s first, has been devised to prevent the development of problems with gambling, and to provide help to those who nevertheless do develop such problems. With oversight from the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, comprising representatives of the regulator community and industry, the programme is managed by independent experts. It has three components:

Public education and prevention;
A treatment and counselling service for problem gamblers, their families and friends; and
Research, which ensures that the first two components operate with the most accurate scientific knowledge available both nationally and internationally.

For the overwhelming majority of people, gambling is harmless recreational fun. For most people, gambling, be it horse racing, playing the lottery, or at a casino is a form of leisure and entertainment. They go to the races, or bet on sports events, knowing how much money they can afford to spend. They don’t spend more time than they can afford to on gambling either. They do not get into financial difficulties because of gambling, and then hope that more gambling will solve their financial problems.

However, for a small proposition of people throughout the world, regardless of age, religion, educational attainment, economic status and moral character, gambling does become a problem in their lives. In particular they suspect that it would be better if they stopped gambling, or at least cut down and controlled their gambling. For some of these people, gambling may become and addiction.

National Responsible Gambling Programme offers help to problem gamblers free of charge; the calls to the counselling line (0800 006 008)are free, and if it is necessary for a caller to get outpatient treatment from one of the NGRP’s medical professionals, these costs are borne by the programme, not the patient. For further help the gambler can approach a casino personnel or the provincial gambling board, and ask that they be prevented from gambling, this is called self-exclusion.

Exclusion

What is Exclusion?

Exclusion is when a person(s) is refused entry to legal gambling premises. This can happen in the following ways:

• A person can voluntarily request to be excluded from gambling at legal gambling premises upon realizing that he/she has a gambling problem and needs help for a given period.
• A licensed promises requesting a punter to be excluded from the gambling premises for a violation of law or an unbecoming behaviour for a given period, depending on the offence committed as described in the Free State Gambling and Liquor Act 2010, Act 6 of 2010, and the Regulations issued in terms of the Act.
• A licensed premises requesting a punter to be excluded from the gambling premises for a violation of law or an unbecoming behaviour for a given period depending on the offence committed as described in the Free State Gambling and Liquor Act 2010, Act 6 of 2010, and the Regulations issued in terms of the Act.

Request for Exclusion

Punters wishing to be excluded can receive application assistance from the Casino’s in the province and also from the Free State Gambling and Liquor Authority.

Information required accompanying exclusion

The following information and data shall be provided for each excluded person:

• A description of the person’s physical appearance, height, weight, type of build, colour of hair and eyes, and any other physical characteristics which may assist in the identification of the person.
• The date of birth, if available.
• The date the person’s name was placed on the list, a photograph and the date thereof, if available.
• The reason for placing the person’s name on the list, and
• The type or types of licensed premises or gambling to which the exclusion applies.

Non-compliance with exclusion

The punter who is found to be contravening the exclusion through attending and partaking in the gambling activities on the premises from which he/she is excluded will be dealt with by the licensee and its agents through:

• request such excluded person not to enter, or if on the premises, to immediately leave such premises;
• notify the South African Police Service to evict such excluded person if he or she fails to comply the request of the licensee, its agents or employees; and
• notify the board of the presence of any excluded person on the licensed premises.

NB: A licensee shall not knowingly allow an excluded person to partake in any gambling from which he or she is excluded.

1.5 Upliftment of the exclusion

The board will upon receipt of the petition from the excluded person to be removed from exclusion list, within sixty (60) days either deny the petition or set the petition for hearing, and if satisfied with the reasons affordable to it remove the punter from the list of excluded persons.