NSFAS and NGB Launch Student Gambling Awareness Drive

NSFAS and South Africa’s National Gambling Board have launched a joint awareness drive after raising concerns that student allowances meant for education and living costs are being diverted to gambling. The partnership is aimed at tertiary institutions and focuses on harm prevention, financial literacy, and the risks linked to illegal online gambling platforms.

Why the campaign has started

In a joint media release dated 18 February 2026, NSFAS and the NGB said the partnership was created to protect students from gambling-related harm and to safeguard public funds allocated for education. The statement said concerns had grown over young people’s exposure to gambling, especially illegal online platforms, and over the unintended use of student allowances for gambling activity.

This partnership puts the spotlight on a growing concern in South Africa: student funding is meant to support education, not be absorbed by fast-moving online gambling products.

The release linked the trend to financial pressure, aggressive digital advertising, ease of online access, and targeted promotional offers. It also warned that rising participation could affect academic performance, financial stability, and student wellbeing.

What NSFAS and the NGB plan to do

The two bodies said they will formalise the partnership through a memorandum of understanding and roll out nationwide outreach and on-campus education programmes. Their stated priorities include responsible gambling awareness, discouraging the misuse of NSFAS-funded allowances, and expanding early-intervention efforts across universities and TVET colleges.

The initiative will also include workshops, campus activations, and financial-literacy campaigns, alongside information-sharing designed to strengthen prevention and monitoring. NSFAS acting chief executive Waseem Carrim said student funding is meant to support education and essential living needs, not gambling.

Part of a wider regulatory push

The campaign also fits into a broader line of messaging from the NGB. On its website, the regulator says it is responsible for oversight of the gambling industry in South Africa, while recent official notices have focused on illegal online gambling, advertising compliance, and consumer protection.

That gives this story a wider significance than a campus awareness campaign alone. It shows regulators are increasingly focused on how online gambling reaches younger and financially vulnerable users, particularly through digital channels that are easy to access on mobile.