A family in South Africa is reeling after a woman, known on X as Lizzy, revealed that her uncle lost R120,000 to gambling in a single day.
In a tweet that quickly went viral, Lizzy wrote: “My uncle lost a total of R120K on gambling in a day. That money was my cousin’s lobola and wedding money. Gambling must be banned in SA!!!”
The post sparked a wider conversation about gambling in South Africa, with users debating the responsibility of individuals versus the role of the gambling industry.
While some argued that gambling can be a legitimate source of income for some, others highlighted the dangers of unchecked betting and the impact of losses on families.
One user wrote, “We stand with the uncle during these difficult times. He wanted to multiply the amount. The idea was great and pure 😭😭😭”
Another pushed back against calls for a ban, arguing that gambling serves as an income stream for many. “Skills issue. Will you give us money if they ban it because gambling is a source of income for most of us and help those who earn peanuts to survive until the end of month,” the user commented.
Others placed the responsibility squarely on the individual rather than the industry. “We blame gambling but sometimes people must blame themselves,” one post read. A separate user added, “So gambling must be banned because of your uncle’s lack of control: it’s not gambling’s fault that what happened, happened. Is gambling a menace, yes, but blaming gambling and not your uncle for losing the money makes no sense.”
