Responsible gambling: your rand, your rules
Here is a test to run before every deposit. If this money is gone by Friday, can you still pay for transport, data and supper? If the answer is no, pause and lower the amount first. That one question protects more people than any tool on any site. This page is for adults aged 18 and over, and it works best when you read it before there is a problem.
Fix the amount while you are calm
Pick a monthly entertainment figure when you are not mid-game. Say R400. Then make sure no single day can take more than R100 of it. The account menu at Mzansibet has deposit, wager, loss and session time limits, so put the numbers in there.
| Limit | What it controls | Example in rand |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | Money you can add per day, week or month | R400 a month |
| Loss | How much you can lose in a period | R200 a week |
| Wager | Total stakes in a period | R2,000 a week |
| Session | Minutes per visit | 45 minutes |
Lowering a limit normally works quickly. Raising one should involve a wait. If you catch yourself wanting a higher limit during a losing run, close the app instead.
When a bonus clock starts ticking
A seven-day bonus with 40x wagering can drag you into playing longer than you wanted to. If the stakes needed do not fit your budget, leave the offer alone. Plain play with your own money and no clock is a perfectly good way to use the site.
Make the cashier harder to reach
Your bank and your phone are on your side if you set them up. Delete saved card details from the browser and remove the home-screen shortcut. Ask your bank whether it can block gambling transactions on your card. Buy vouchers for a fixed amount once a month, not on impulse at the till. Paying by instant EFT? Switch off the saved profile so every payment is a fresh decision.
Keep your phone locked and your passwords private as well. Nobody under 18 may gamble, and a child who finds a logged-in phone can reach your account in seconds.
Signs that it has stopped being fun
You will not need a questionnaire. Look for the pattern. You deposit more than you planned, then top up straight after a loss to win it back. You tuck a bet slip or a bank statement out of sight. The site is the first thing you open in the morning and the last at night. You play when you are angry, drunk or worried about money.
One honest yes means slow down. Two or more means talk to someone this week.
Taking a break
For a pause, ask for cooling-off. The account stays open but you are locked out for a set time. For a longer stretch, ask support to arrange self-exclusion. Live chat runs 24/7, so say plainly what you want and for how long.
Do not open a new account under a different number to get round it. That wipes out the point of the break.
After a bad night
Everyone loses sometimes. The next hour is what counts. Close the site, put the phone in another room and do something with your hands for twenty minutes. No top-up to win it back tonight. In the morning, look at the number honestly and ask whether your limits still fit your life. A top-up at midnight is how a small loss becomes a big one.
If someone close to you gambles too much
Start with a calm conversation about what you have noticed, without accusing anyone. Do not lend money to cover gambling debts, and keep your own cards and accounts safe. Family members can get support too.
Free help in South Africa
The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation offers free, confidential help on the toll-free number 0800 006 008. Conversations with support staff and helplines are confidential. If you are in distress or thinking of hurting yourself, call the SADAG crisis line on 0800 567 567 or go to the nearest clinic or hospital.