Eastern Cape Gambling Board Proposes 12-Month Workplace Gambling Prevention Pilot

South Africa’s Eastern Cape Gambling Board has proposed a 12-month pilot for African public-sector organisations aimed at identifying gambling-related harm earlier, improving confidential employee support and developing a model that could later be adapted across the continent.

The Eastern Cape Gambling Board (ECGB) has proposed a 12-month workplace-based responsible gambling pilot for willing public-sector organisations in Africa as regulators look for new ways to address gambling-related harm beyond traditional public awareness campaigns.

The proposal was presented by ECGB head of strategy Luvuyo Tshoko at the 17th Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF) Annual Conference, held in Maputo from September 14 to 17. Tshoko argued that the growth of mobile and online gambling means employees can now gamble easily through smartphones, while related financial or behavioural problems may remain unnoticed until they become more serious.

The pilot would focus on practical gambling education, early identification and referral, confidential support and analysis of workplace-level risks. Managers would be trained to recognise potential warning signs and direct employees towards professional assistance, rather than attempting to diagnose gambling problems themselves.

Employee privacy is a central part of the proposal. Access to support would be kept separate from disciplinary procedures, while information from individual cases would only be analysed in aggregated and anonymised form. This data could help employers identify recurring weaknesses in policies or support systems without exposing individual workers.

Under the proposed timetable, the first three months would be used to select internal sponsors, review existing policies and establish safeguards. Months four to eight would focus on manager training, communication of support services and the inclusion of gambling in financial wellness programmes. The final four months would evaluate the results and determine whether the model could be expanded.

GRAF intends to use evidence from the pilot to help shape an adaptable workplace gambling prevention standard for African markets, with regulators, employers, operators and labour representatives sharing responsibility. The forum already brings together gaming authorities from across Africa to strengthen regulatory cooperation and responsible gambling policy.

If implemented successfully, the initiative could broaden Africa’s responsible gambling strategy from consumer-facing campaigns to prevention within workplaces. The key test will be whether participating organisations can encourage employees to seek help without creating concerns over confidentiality or employment consequences.