Premier Soccer League Chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza together with the league sponsor has emphasised the importance of responsible betting.
On a momentous day in Parktown, at the headquarters of the PSL, Khoza and Betway’s Laurence Michael confirmed the R20-million league winner’s prize, while the rest of the prize money and trophy will be announced in due course.
But they key take from the event that Khoza and the sponsor wished to be driven amidst their R900-million, three-year sponsorship, is the emphasis on responsible gambling, as in the past their relationship with liquor brands in the PSL came under the microscope.
South Africa has a notable issue with alcoholism and more recently betting addictions, but the leader of the league stated, that there’s nothing wrong with liquor or gambling, but rather, people.
“We spoke about SAB at the time, I was controversial when I said there’s nothing wrong with liquor, there’s something wrong with us, we don’t drink to get drunk, you must drink to just enjoy and chill,” Khoza said.
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“You want another one and another one, you can’t blame the liquor, the same with gambling, we will share with you and the public in general, whatever you do with betting, don’t chase your losses.”
This comes in the wake of crowd troubles in recent domestic fixtures of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates and a broader scape, of domestic violence in the country.
Laurence echoed the sentiments of the Chairman, suggesting there’s no sense of being tone-deaf to certain issues plaguing South African society.
“I must say the Chairman’s analogy is relevant and pertinent to betting, there’s nothing wrong with it, but something wrong with over-betting and this was a very good message, I think it’s part of the message I would like to deliver,” he said.
“Lisegazani has been accepted by the football community and fans this season, the only way here is up for us, it’s been a great start, it’s also made it an even better start with Pirates winning seven in a row, but that’s how it goes, maybe not for everyone but certainly for Mr Chairman.”
With Sibongile Simelane-Quntana is the Executive Director at the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation also present and providing insight into their programs for the issues in the sector, Laurence went on to drive home the message with several key points, and emphasised a large budget goes into responsible betting.
“We need to continue to act responsibly as a global sports betting brand, to educate customers and the South African public to responsible gambling,” he said.
“Our messaging on SuperSport, SABC, LED boards and advertising over South Africa is emphasising betting responsibility, globally, we getting the message out.
“We pay a lot of money for this, most companies would just put their brand there, we’re spending a good chunk of our budget to betting message responsibly, it costs money to get the message out, showing our sincerity [about the campaign].
“Dont chase your losses, don’t overextend yourself, take a break and try again later, bet what you can afford, and the biggest one of all, only bet money and disposable income you can afford, it does not help you to take money from overdrafts and credit to bet.
“Stick to a budget, in life nobody is prepared to work out how much they want to win, but they also don’t work out how much the prepared to lose, or invest in entertainment, having fun – it’s really important. Set time limits… if you lose track of time, you invest more than you like.
“There’s no such thing as a sure bet, last night Sporting beat Manchester City 4-1, Real Madrid lost 3-1, they were sure, everyone thought it was sure things, there’s no such thing as a sure bet, and always keep it fun, add to the thrill and entertainment, not your prime reason to watch a match because you have a bet on it.”
