Carte Blanche: Jackpot nation – WATCH

The 30 November episode of Carte Blanche goes to the frontline in South Africa’s escalating battle against illegal gambling, exposing how unregistered internet lounges, spaza-shop betting hubs and smartphone apps are draining wages, grants and loans from vulnerable communities.

The investigation reveals a fast-growing digital gambling underworld that is emptying out households one bet at a time, with families now losing more to gambling than to most other leisure expenses.

Despite operating under hopelessly outdated laws, authorities are pushing back, conducting raids on illegal lounges and seizing machines in an urgent attempt to stem the tide.

Carte Blanche is a South African investigative journalism television series that airs on M-Net every Sunday at 19:00.

Its first episode aired on 21 August 1988 and over the last 34-plus years has earned credibility among South African viewers for its investigation into corruption, consumer issues, and current events.