South Africa’s National Gambling Board (NGB) has opened a tender for research to determine the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling in the country. The request for proposals, numbered NGB 002(2026/2027), was published on 2 October and remains open.
The NGB’s procurement page lists a compulsory briefing session for prospective bidders on 16 October at 11:00 and a closing time of 27 October at 11:00. The procurement is for a research provider, not a new gambling licence or an immediate change to operating rules.
What the NGB Is Seeking
The tender’s title identifies the main research question: how prevalent gambling and problem gambling are in South Africa. Focus Gaming News, which reviewed the tender documents, reports that the proposed study is intended to cover gambling participation and behaviour, problem-gambling severity and evidence that can inform recommendations on regulation and harm mitigation.
Also, the study is expected to include research across all nine provinces and to consider adults aged 18 and over, including people in rural and underserved communities. The NGB is seeking a provider to conduct the research and analyse its findings.
The full tender document contains the detailed scope and delivery requirements. The NGB procurement listing confirms the tender number, briefing date and deadline, but does not reproduce those technical specifications on the page.
Why Updated Prevalence Evidence Matters
A national study could give regulators and industry professionals a more current evidence base for understanding who gambles, which forms of gambling people use and where gambling-related harm may be concentrated. Those findings could inform later policy discussions and player-protection work.
That is the purpose of the research as described in the tender reporting. It is not a finding that problem gambling has increased, nor evidence that the study has already produced new conclusions. Those questions will depend on the research design, data collection and final results.
The distinction is important for operators and suppliers using market statistics in planning. Until the study is completed and published, the tender itself should not be cited as evidence of current participation rates or changes in gambling behaviour.
Briefing and Bid Dates Set the Next Steps
The NGB lists 16 October at 11:00 for a compulsory briefing and 27 October at 11:00 for bid submission. Interested research providers should consult the full tender documents and official procurement portal to confirm participation requirements and submission instructions.
For regulators and market professionals, the next substantive signal will be the research scope and, later, the published findings. The tender establishes that the NGB is commissioning a study; it does not predetermine what the study will find or what policy may follow.
iGW Market Relevance
For operators, suppliers and responsible-gaming professionals, the study could eventually provide a stronger basis for decisions about product oversight and player protection. The practical value will depend on the final methodology, whether findings are broken down in ways that support local decisions, and how the NGB makes the results available.
Source: NGB procurement listing and Focus Gaming News report
