R143 million is the official amount that was allocated to Corporate Social Investment for the financial year ended 31 March 2018, this is according to the latest edition of the Casino Association of South Africa (“CASA”) ‘s annual survey.
The survey includes all but three of the 38 operational and legal land-based casinos in South Africa, and provides a snapshot of what is happening amongst its members. This years edition included contributions made by the members, towards policy decisions that may advance the interests of the casino industry as well as the growing public that they serve.
Of the R143 million spent in the year under review, educational trusts and bursary schemes were the largest beneficiaries, receiving R64 million. This was followed by R30 million that went to community development projects. Health and welfare programmes received over R17 million, while sports, arts and culture received R7 million. R10 million was spent on a variety of other worthy CSI projects.
Another recipient of CSI funding is the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation NPC (“SARGF”), which annually receives 0.1% of CASA members’ gross gambling revenue, which equaled R15.6 million for the year under review.
The National Responsible Gambling Programme (“NRGP”), which is delivered by the SARGF, is internationally acclaimed for its sound practices which are targeted at eradicating irresponsible gambling and is a leading example of a collective industry approach to ensuring responsible gambling, which underpins the sustainability of the industry.
The collective efforts of CASA’s members run the entire scope from education, poverty alleviation, skills development, community upliftment, sports development and sponsorship, health care, altruistic infrastructural improvement, HIV treatment and assistance to those most in need, namely the young and elderly.
