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Sun International has vowed to keep its gambling adverts away from children and young people as concerns grow about the risks of online betting and the impact of gambling.

Sun International CEO Ulrik Bengtsson made the commitment at the launch of the company’s responsible gambling charter in Sandton on Tuesday.

“We will avoid television, radio and other advertising channels when children are the target audience, as well as programmes where most viewers are underage,” he said.

The company will also dedicate 10% of its gambling advertising content to responsible gambling messages and safer gambling campaigns.

Bengtsson said the industry had to do more to protect players from gambling-related harm.

“We want our advertising to reach adults who choose to gamble and not children or people who are at risk. And we want to use it to promote responsible play,” Bengtsson said.

I welcome the voluntary restrictions on gambling advertising during certain hours, including between 6am and 8am and between noon and 6pm, when children and young people may be watching television or listening to the radio

—  Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, Gauteng economic development MEC

The charter sets out the company’s commitment to protecting players and making support tools easier to access.

Bengtsson said responsible gambling was a shared responsibility between players, operators, government and regulators.

While gambling is a form of entertainment for many people, he said it could become a serious problem for others, affecting their finances, relationships and mental health.

The company has committed to making gambling limits, reality checks, cooling-off periods, self-assessment tools and self-exclusion options available to players.

It also plans to introduce artificial intelligence-supported tools from 2027 to help staff identify people who may be developing gambling problems. Bengtsson said the company wants these tools to be easy to use and part of the normal gambling experience.

Sun International also plans to:

pursue responsible gambling certification;conduct annual external audits of its systems; and publish responsible gambling data in its annual sustainability report.

While Gauteng economic development MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa welcomed the charter, she emphasised that children must be protected from being exposed to gambling through advertising.

“I welcome the voluntary restrictions on gambling advertising during certain hours, including between 6am and 8am and between noon and 6pm, when children and young people may be watching television or listening to the radio,” she said.

She urged the industry to take their commitments seriously and ensure responsible gambling messages were clearly visible in advertisements.

Protection cannot rely solely on the information provided at the point of sale.

—  Lungile Dukwana, acting National Gambling Board CEO

“The charter must complement the work of the regulator. It does not replace it.”

Ramokgopa said the Gauteng Gambling Board has to continue licensing operators, monitoring their activities and enforcing compliance. The provincial government is reviewing existing gambling legislation to ensure it keeps pace with changes in the industry, she said, adding that she expects the commitments made by Sun International to produce measurable results, supported by independent audits and public reporting.

Acting National Gambling Board CEO Lungile Dukwana said the growth of online betting had made gambling more accessible and increased the need for stronger protection for players. He said people could now place bets from their mobile phones at almost any time, making it harder for regulators to monitor gambling activity and protect vulnerable consumers.

Referring to the GeoPoll Betting in Africa 2026 report, Dukwana said about 95% of active gamblers across major African markets, including South Africa, used mobile devices to place their wagers.

Dukwana said safeguards had to be built into every stage of the gambling process, from registering an account and verifying a player’s age to monitoring betting behaviour and providing access to support.

“Protection cannot rely solely on the information provided at the point of sale,” Dukwana said.

Bengtsson said the charter was a step towards making responsible gambling a central part of the company’s operations, but acknowledged that no system could prevent every case of problem gambling.

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