Responsible gambling: help, limits and warning signs

Get help now

Treatment through the programme is free. After an assessment, people with a gambling problem are offered outpatient counselling sessions, people who self-exclude are offered sessions too, and family members can get support.Source source If gambling has left you thinking about harming yourself, call SADAG's 24-hour suicide crisis line on 0800 567 567 now.Source source

Signs it is time to stop

• You deposit again to win back what you lost.
• You use money meant for rent, food or debt repayments, or you borrow to play.
• You play for longer, or with more, than you planned.
• You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down.
• You keep your play hidden from people close to you.

Winners know when to stop. Stopping for a day, a month or for good is a win, not a defeat.Source source

Budgeting tips that hold up on a bad night

1. Pay the essentials first Rent, food, transport and debt repayments come out of your pay before any gambling money is set aside, never after.
2. Fix a monthly amount, not a nightly one Decide once a month what you can afford to lose in full, and split it across the sessions you plan. A loss early in the month does not earn a top-up.
3. Keep gambling money separate Move the month's amount to its own account or wallet, leave your main bank card out of the casino cashier, and note every deposit as you make it.
4. Treat a bonus as play money Wagering rules mean bonus money rarely becomes cash. Never deposit more to unlock a bigger match.
5. Stop at the limit, win or lose If you hit the month's amount, the next step is a break, not another deposit. If that feels impossible, call 0800 006 008.

Limits and self-exclusion at Springbok Casino

Springbok's responsible gaming page describes two tools of its own: self-exclusion for a period you choose, of at least one month, and daily or monthly deposit limits. Both are arranged by contacting Springbok.Verified source

In practice that means writing to Springbok's support team on live chat or at help@springbokcasino.co.za and asking for a deposit limit or a self-exclusion period. Ask for written confirmation, and set the limit before you deposit rather than after a loss. A step-by-step guide to closing or pausing a Springbok account is on casino-springbok.org's self-exclusion page.

Make a break stick
A self-exclusion works best when the rest of your phone and computer back it up. Delete saved logins and casino bookmarks, unsubscribe from Springbok's emails, and consider an app that filters gambling sites on your devices. Tell someone you trust that you have taken a break.

If someone close to you gambles too much

You can call the NRGP line on someone else's behalf. The programme supports family members as well as players,Source source and a counsellor can help you plan what to say.

• Talk when things are calm, not straight after a loss, and describe what you have seen rather than labelling the person.
• Do not pay off gambling debts or lend money for "one last" deposit; it delays the moment help is needed.
• Protect shared money: separate accounts and your own access to essentials.
• Look after yourself too. If you feel unsafe or overwhelmed, SADAG's crisis line is open 24 hours on 0800 567 567.

Why this page carries no offers

A page about getting help should not double as a sales page, so the only links to Springbok here are the standard ones in the header and footer.