Responsible gambling
South Africa's self-exclusion registry went national in February 2026
A single self-exclusion now applies across every licensed operator in the country at once, following amendments to the National Gambling Regulations. Here's how the registry works and where to get free, confidential help.
What changed
The self-exclusion registry that changed in February 2026
Under amendments to the National Gambling Regulations published in Government Gazette No. 54106, the National Register of Excluded Persons (NREP) is now centrally managed by the National Gambling Board, rather than tracked separately by each provincial licensing authority or operator. Once a person is registered as excluded, that exclusion applies to designated gambling areas and licensed operators nationwide, not to a single site or venue.
This is a meaningful shift from how self-exclusion worked previously, when a request made to one operator did not automatically prevent access elsewhere. A player who completes the process now cannot simply open an account with a different licensed operator to continue playing during the exclusion period.
The scale of the issue
Why the national helpline is more overwhelmed than ever
Calls to the National Responsible Gambling Programme's helpline rose from around 140,000 in the 2023/24 financial year to more than 1 million in 2024/25, an increase of roughly 623%. Problem gambling prevalence among South African gamblers has climbed from an estimated 6% in 2017 to over 31% today, according to figures reported alongside the helpline surge.
Recognising the signs early, chasing losses, hiding spending, borrowing to keep betting, matters more than waiting for a crisis point, since treatment referrals themselves rose by over 55% in the same period as more people sought help later than they needed to.
The process
How self-exclusion actually takes effect
Registering as an excluded person requires submitting Form NGB 1/1, either on paper or electronically, along with a recent photograph and proof of identity. The exclusion takes effect 10 days after the form is submitted to the Board, and it applies for a minimum of six months, during which free counselling through the NRGP is required before the exclusion can be lifted.
Non-compliance, attempting to gamble while excluded, can lead to being refused entry, and in some cases a trespassing charge, which underlines that the registry is treated as a binding legal instrument rather than a soft preference setting.
Getting support
Where FlyBet's own responsible-gambling tools fit in
Independent of the national registry, checking in on personal deposit habits and setting a personal spending limit before a session starts remains one of the simplest ways to stay within a comfortable budget, and the NRGP helpline below can guide that conversation confidentially, at any hour, free of charge.