South Africa is topping a rather concerning global ranking – we are officially the country with the highest participation in online gambling worldwide. According to the figures, 32.3% of South African internet users aged 16 and older engage in online gambling at least once a month. That's almost one in three internet users. And this is not happening in isolation. The country's betting industry
has experienced explosive growth, with revenue reportedly increasing by more than 1,400% between 2018 and 2023. Sports betting and the growing accessibility of online platforms are among
the major drivers. But what does this say about our relationship with gambling? Is online betting becoming a form of entertainment, a way for people to supplement their incomes, or are we increasingly turning to gambling in the hope of escaping financial hardship? And perhaps more importantly, what are the social and economic consequences of a country so heavily invested in betting?

South Africa is topping a rather concerning global ranking &ndash; we are&nbsp;officially the country with the highest participation in online gambling&nbsp;worldwide. According to the figures, 32.3% of South African internet&nbsp;users aged 16 and older engage in online gambling at least once a&nbsp;month. That's almost one in three internet users.&nbsp;And this is not happening in isolation. The country's betting industry has experienced explosive growth, with revenue reportedly&nbsp;increasing by more than 1,400% between 2018 and 2023. Sports&nbsp;betting and the growing accessibility of online platforms are among the major drivers. But what does this say about our relationship with&nbsp;gambling? Is online betting becoming a form of entertainment, a way&nbsp;for people to supplement their incomes, or are we increasingly&nbsp;turning to gambling in the hope of escaping financial hardship? And&nbsp;perhaps more importantly, what are the social and economic&nbsp;consequences of a country so heavily invested in betting?

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope