Responsible Gambling Policy

The SARGF describes a problem gambler as someone who continues to gamble despite the negative consequences or impact it may have on their and their families’ lives, and they have no desire to stop.

The biggest negative effect of gambling is the loss of money. If someone has a gambling problem and loses a great deal of money, this can result in debt, asset loss, bankruptcy, fraud, theft, job loss or poor performance at work, stress and even suicide.

If you are uncertain about whether you or someone you know may have a gambling addiction, please consider some of the below warning signs:

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  Your time and thoughts are always preoccupied by gambling activities;

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  You gamble to relieve a bad mood or to escape problems;

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  You increase the amount of money to gamble with in order to win what you’ve lost previously;

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  You chase after your losses;

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  You have ever lied to anyone about your gambling or hidden it from other people;

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  Your gambling behaviour / activities have caused damaging consequences in your family, work, studying and/or social life;

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  You have tried to stop your gambling behaviour;

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  You feel restless and irritable when you try to cut down or stop your gambling but you were unsuccessful;

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  You have borrowed or asked for money to gamble with; and/or

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  You have done something illegal to get money to gamble or to pay gambling debts.
  

Gambling regulators, such as national and provincial gambling boards acknowledge that gambling has negative effects on society as a whole. However, there are mechanisms in place to counter such problems. The SARGF is the entity which supervises the National Responsible Gambling Programme (“NRGP”) in co-operation with the gambling industry operators and governmental regulators.

The NRGP deals with problematic gambling tendencies and provides counselling, treatment and education at no cost to the public. The NRGP integrates education, research and treatment into one programme. One of the mechanisms implemented to ensure that a person who has developed a gambling addiction or may by showing signs of problem gambling, is the mechanism that excludes these individuals from participating in any one of the gambling activities offered nationally.

If you think you or someone you know may have a problem, YesPlay encourages you to contact the National Responsible Gambling Foundation toll-free helpline on 0800 006 008 or WhatsApp ”HELP” to 076 675 0710. Additional resources, including self-help information and guides on counselling provided by the NRGP can be found at responsiblegambling.org.za.

Should you feel that you are spending more money, betting more often than you are comfortable with, you are having difficulty in assessing risks or are struggling to recognise your own limits to enjoy our products as a form of entertainment, the below information aims to inform you about the steps you can take to self-excluded yourself from any gambling activity.

YesPlay supports the NRGP’s self-exclusion intervention. The role that the NRGP plays in this programme is counselling and support for the excluded individuals and their immediate family members. Self-exclusion is a legislated programme where a player may wish to exclude him/herself from gambling activities. In terms of the legislation anyone can apply for exclusion.

Please contact support@yesplay.bet should you wish to be self-excluded from betting with YesPlay.

An individual that is excluded from gambling activities cannot take part in any gambling activity for the stipulated period.

You may, at any time, request temporary or permanent exclusion from YesPlay, these periods are:

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  Temporary suspension: your account will be suspended for at least 1 to 3 months (customer is required to specify in his/her request); or

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  Permanent self-exclusion: your account will be closed for 6 months.

It is important to note that a self-exclusion request (whether you request temporary suspension or permanent self-exclusion) will mean that you will not be able to:

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  Deposit funds into your account;

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  Place any bets on any game, sporting event or contingency offered by YesPlay; and

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  Receive any marketing notifications.

In the case of a permanent self-exclusion request, any and all funds in your account will be returned to you and your account will be suspended.

During your break from gambling, YesPlay encourages you to take part in the NRGP’s counselling which it offers to all self-excluded individuals.

As an added layer of player protection, YesPlay has taken measures to ensure that various safeguards are implemented in the sign up and banking processes, making it very difficult for self-excluded customers to open a duplicate account.

In order for YesPlay to verify your self-exclusion request and your identity, you agree to provide YesPlay with a clear self image of you holding your ID document / passport and a copy of your ID document / passport.

To the extent that you wish to be self-excluded nationally (i.e. from all betting platforms not only YesPlay), please complete the following form and provide the relevant documentation which you can then submit to support@yesplay.bet or email the completed form directly to the provincial gambling board.

Once the temporary suspension or permanent self-exclusion period has expired, it is important to note that your account will not automatically be reactivated. You will have to submit a written request to reactivate your account by emailing us on support@yesplay.bet. The account will not be reactivated before the date set in the initial request.

Requests for the lifting of the temporary temporary suspension / permanent self-exclusion order will only be considered once the temporary suspension / permanent self-exclusion order has been in force for the stipulated period.

In the case of an upliftment/reactivation of an account that was set for permanent self-exclusion, please note that the account will only be reactivated once the upliftment/revocation process as outlined on the SARGF website has been followed.

YesPlay excludes minors (persons under the age of 18) from registering and participating on its platform. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 years to gamble or open an account with any gambling websites. To comply with the law and provide an added layer of protection to individuals, YesPlay carries out an age verification check on all customers as part of its registration requirements. YesPlay also relies on the support of parents and carers. As such, we encourage our customers to please keep their access details safe and monitor the use of their devices at all times.

We would further recommend that you install filtering software solutions that will allow you to restrict internet access for children / under-aged people, which protects them from inappropriate web content. You can find more information on this topic at:

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  Net Nanny (www.netnanny.com)

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  CYBERsitter (www.cybersitter.com)

Information regarding your account activity can be viewed online once you have signed in to your account. Such information includes: details about your account balance, gambling history (i.e., bet amounts, winnings and losses), deposits, withdrawals and other related transactions.

Whilst YesPlay takes reasonable steps to provide support and tools that ensure a secure and entertaining environment, it is also important for players to recognise that YesPlay’s platform is a form of entertainment. We encourage our customers to practise the following responsible gambling tips:

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  Play within your means – Ensure you stay within your budget;

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  Understand the game you are betting on;

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  Understand the risks prior to gambling;

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  Ensure you have read and understand our Ts&Cs;

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  Never play if your head is not in the right space;

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  Do not chase your losses;

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  Stick to social gambling; and

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  Keep it fun.
  

Last updated: 24.10.2022