On Tuesday, this newspaper ran a lead story on the extent and growth of the gambling and betting industry in South Africa. Some of the numbers were stunning: industry growth of more than 100% since 2020/21, gambling spend accounting for more than half of all household recreational spending, and data from the National Gambling Board showing that more than R1 trillion is wagered by South Africans.

What is clearly occurring is that economic and financial distress, deepened by the Covid-19 pandemic, is driving hundreds of thousands of South Africans to gamble away the income they have earned. The suffering, distress, and pain this causes is unimaginable.

The political consequences must be equally great. Just think from the perspective of the ANC: how many of its voters are gambling away what income they earn or receive through welfare payments? To what extent has this further eroded their living standards? To what extent has that increased their frustration at the state of the country? To what extent has that frustration caused them to abandon the party?

Did gambling, as much as any other factor, therefore cost the ANC the 2024 election? When you look at the numbers involved, this latter question is legitimate.

Put differently, what is the point of job creation, advocating for higher earnings, and rolling out a national welfare programme in order to shore up living standards and combat poverty if a chunk of the proceeds is simply gambled away?

In the view of this newspaper, Parliament needs to act: first to assess the full scope of the gambling industry and its social and economic consequences, and then to pass legislation to mitigate the damage. There could not be a better non-partisan issue for the GNU members to unite around.

The World Health Organization sets out the costs of inaction as ranging from mental illness to suicide, poverty, hunger, relationship breakdown, family violence, child neglect, crime, and corruption. To that list they might add political instability, heightened levels of protest action, and losing elections.