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Responsible gambling

Decide the month's betting money before the first slip, and keep it away from rent, school fees and food. Stakes come out of that amount. When it is gone, betting waits for next month.

How old you have to be

Uganda sets the highest age, 25, under the Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2016. Botswana's Gambling Act, 2012 and Cameroon's 2019 decree set 21. Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa set 18. A licensed bookmaker checks identity at sign-up or before the first withdrawal.

Regulators, complaints and self-exclusion

  • Kenya: Gambling Regulatory Authority, toll-free 0800-723-770, complaints page; appeals go to the Gambling Appeals Tribunal within 14 days.
  • Nigeria (Lagos): Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, which runs the SafePlay self-exclusion scheme for Lagos-licensed operators.
  • Ghana: Gaming Commission of Ghana, which takes self-exclusion requests directly.
  • Uganda: National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board, self-exclusion form.
  • Tanzania: Gaming Board of Tanzania, responsible gaming page.
  • Zambia: Betting Control and Licensing Board, under the Ministry of Finance.
  • Malawi: Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority.
  • Botswana: Gambling Authority Botswana.
  • Zimbabwe: Lotteries and Gaming Board of Zimbabwe.
  • Namibia: Gambling Board of Namibia, No 8 Simeon Shixungileni Street, Windhoek, +264 83 707 0610, [email protected]; the Gambling Trust Fund pays for responsible gambling programmes.
  • Cameroon: MINAT; article 112 of the 2019 decree requires operators to offer self-exclusion, moderation and limits on deposits and stakes.
  • South Africa: provincial gambling boards under the National Gambling Board; the National Responsible Gambling Programme gives free counselling.

Brakes inside a betting account

Most bookmakers keep deposit limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion under account settings or a responsible gaming tab. A limit set there binds that one bookmaker. A regulator's self-exclusion list covers every operator holding its licence.

Signs it has stopped being a game

Raising stakes to win back what is gone, borrowing to deposit, hiding slips from family, betting to escape a bad day: problem-gambling screening questionnaires ask about each of these. If one sounds familiar, freeze the account and call the line for your country.