Abstract

This paper will seek to discuss the risky behaviour of South African women with respect to gambling, and other possible unhealthy risky behaviour in South Africa. The paper will describe risk and other related factors associated with these behaviours amongst South African women, as well as the additional challenges within the current global pandemic, and how awareness programmes have influenced their behaviour. The number of women who gamble has increased since the legalisation of gambling in South Africa in 1996. The licence conditions for infrastructure were specific around creating an environment of status and spaces of entertainment, safety as well as multi-purpose functioning that would add value to various locations across the country. The world changed substantially after these grandiose sites and great complexes where perceived and implemented, and general perceptions of gambling changed.

In considering the incidence of informal, regulated and illegal online gambling, the number of problem gamblers in general, and female specifically, are increasing and warrants that special attention be paid around the gambling behaviour of women. Greater constraints, the need for community support and care, and limited resources have substantially influenced the risky behaviours of South Africans.

A number of environmental factors will be discussed which may be unique to the increasing participation of women in gambling activities. These are related to factors such as: more accepting attitudes towards gambling; the influence of lock down on casinos and the growth of online gambling; a new range of risky behaviours as well as the social compacts related to communities under immense new challenges.

This paper will discuss a number of specific cases of female risk takers.