A shocking number of students are squandering their NSFAS allowances on the digital roulette wheel of online gambling. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), a crucial lifeline for low-income scholars, is being systematically bled dry not by tuition fees, but by betting slips. This troubling trend is leaving a trail of financial ruin, academic failure, and profound anxiety in its wake.
This student predicament mirrors a much larger national issue. The National Gambling Board (NGB) has released staggering new figures, revealing that South Africans wagered a record R1.5 trillion (approximately US$81 billion) in the past year. This represents a jaw-dropping 45% surge, a boom largely fuelled by the relentless proliferation of online betting platforms. Since 2017, adult participation in gambling has nearly doubled to 65.7%, with the industry now contributing 0.83% to the country’s entire GDP.
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Students Using Their NSFAS Allowances for Online Gambling
Caught in the centre of this storm are vulnerable students, many of whom are away from home for the first time and facing immense pressure. The NSFAS allowance, meticulously calculated to cover essential costs like textbooks, food, and accommodation, is being diverted. Instead of securing their academic future, these young adults are chasing elusive jackpots, often with devastating consequences. Many find themselves penniless just weeks into the semester, their dreams of qualification replaced by the grim reality of academic probation and overwhelming debt.
The human cost of this epidemic is immense. One student, who wished to remain anonymous, confessed,
“You tell yourself it’s just for fun, but then the money for the month is gone in one night. You feel so stupid and stressed, you can’t even focus on your studies.”
This cycle of loss and desperation is becoming an all-too-common story on campuses from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
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A Political Fight for Gambling Reform
The alarming report has sounded alarm bells in the halls of power, prompting urgent political action. Member of Parliament Makashule Gana of the Rise Mzansi party has been at the forefront of this battle. He revealed that when he first entered parliament in 2024 and began raising the issue, the severity of the problem was not widely understood.
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The post South African Students Using Their NSFAS Allowances For Online Gambling appeared first on iHarare News.
