Help lines and deposit limits for South African players

Free help in South Africa

The NRGP line is run by the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, and its treatment is free. After a first assessment, a person with a gambling problem can get eight outpatient counselling sessions, with up to two more where a clinician motivates for them. People who exclude themselves from gambling get four sessions, and family members can get support of their own.

The line in our footer, "Winners know when to stop", is the Foundation's own slogan. It is worth taking literally: stopping is a decision made before you open the cashier, not after a bad night.

Limits you can set with Springbok

This guide is about paying in, so it should be honest about the risk in that: a modern cashier makes depositing quick, and quick is not always kind. Springbok's responsible-gaming page says players can have a daily or monthly deposit limit set, and can exclude themselves for a period they choose, of at least one month. Both are arranged by contacting Springbok's support team, so ask in writing and keep the reply.

1. 1

   Pick the monthly amount first

   Base it on what is left after rent, food, transport and debt repayments. If that number is zero, the answer is not to deposit.

2. 2

   Ask for the limit before your next deposit

   Use Springbok's live chat or email support. A limit set in advance does the work that willpower struggles with later.

3. 3

   Make paying in less convenient

   Remove saved card details, and remember that vouchers and crypto are real money even when they do not feel like it.

A step-by-step guide to Springbok's deposit limits.

Taking a longer break

A deposit limit slows spending down; a self-exclusion stops it. Springbok says its self-exclusion runs for the period you pick, with one month as the shortest option. If you are unsure how long to choose, choose longer: a break that ends too soon can restart the same pattern. Tell someone you trust that you have done it, and remove the casino from your browser's saved pages and your phone's home screen.

Exclusion from one casino does not stop play elsewhere. If you notice yourself looking for another site, that is a good moment to call 0800 006 008 rather than to open a new account.

If you pay by card, you can also ask your bank whether it will stop card payments to gambling sites. Once that stop is in place, a declined card is the stop doing its work, as the guide to card payments at Springbok points out, not a reason to look for another way to pay.

Signs it is time to pause

• You deposit again to win back what you lost.
• Money meant for bills, groceries or school fees has gone into the cashier, or you have borrowed to keep playing.
• You hide how much you deposit from the people close to you.
• Paying in feels urgent, or closing the cashier feels hard.
• You feel low, anxious or irritable on days you do not play.

Any one of these is reason enough to call 0800 006 008 today. The call is free and confidential, so there is nothing to lose by asking.

If someone close to you is gambling

Families feel gambling harm first, often through missing money or broken promises. The Foundation's services include support for family members in their own right, so you can call 0800 006 008 even if the person who gambles will not. Keep your own finances separate, avoid paying off gambling debts for them, and talk at a calm moment rather than straight after a loss.