NRGP counselling: what to expect from first call to last session

The National Responsible Gambling Programme is the help that SARGF provides: a counselling helpline, a WhatsApp channel and referrals to a network of treatment professionals. It is not part of Springbok. Nothing on SARGF's pages ties the help to a particular casino, so it is open to you whether you play at Springbok or anywhere else.

Springbok's own Responsible Gaming page points players to the national help programme, which makes the NRGP the natural first call for a Springbok player who is worried. The numbers on this page come from SARGF's website.

You can get in touch with the NRGP if

• you are uneasy about how much or how often you play, even if nothing has gone badly wrong yet;
• you have set a limit or taken a break and want support to keep it;
• someone close to you gambles and it is affecting you;
• you want to understand your options before deciding anything.

• Call the helpline0800 006 008, toll-free and answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Send a WhatsApp076 675 0710, to request a counsellor referral in writing.
• Use the online referral formSARGF's counselling page links a secure digital referral form.

How the WhatsApp route works

SARGF's counselling page describes the WhatsApp channel as a short automated start followed by a real conversation. You choose the referral option from a menu, answer a brief self-check quiz, and then chat with a qualified counsellor, who can refer you to the nearest treatment professional.

Typing suits people who share a home or an office and cannot speak freely, or who simply find it easier to put things into words when nobody is listening. The thread also stays on your phone, so the referral details are easy to find again.

1. First contact

   A trained counsellor listens and asks about your gambling. SARGF describes the helpline as offering counselling, assessment and referral to treatment.

2. Assessment

   The counsellor gauges how much risk you are carrying and works out with you which kind of care fits.

3. Referral

   If treatment is the right step, you are referred to a treatment professional near you for face-to-face outpatient sessions.

4. Outpatient sessions

   SARGF lists eight sessions after triage, with up to two more when the treatment professional motivates them clinically.

5. Further support

   SARGF also describes a recovery support group after treatment, for relapse prevention and peer support.

If you are unsure whether you need treatment at all, that is a fine reason to call. SARGF describes the helpline as a place for guidance as well as assessment and referral, so a first call can be about questions rather than commitments.

SARGF also lists a shorter, focused set of sessions for people who self-exclude. Its pages describe that programme in more than one way, so if you have taken a break from gambling, ask the counsellor what applies to you.

Worth jotting down before you call

• Roughly how often you have played over the past month, and for how long each time.
• Roughly how much has gone in, and where that money came from.
• Anything you have already tried, such as a deposit limit or a break.
• What worries you most right now: money, mood, relationships or something else.
• A time and place where you can talk or type without being overheard.

You do not need exact figures or a tidy story. An honest estimate is enough to start, and nobody expects a spreadsheet.

Afterwards, write down the name of the treatment professional you are referred to and the date of your first session. If that appointment is some days away, Springbok's own tools can hold the line in the meantime.

Springbok's tools and NRGP counselling do different jobs, and you can use them together. A deposit limit caps the money; a self-exclusion break of at least one month removes the option to play at Springbok altogether; counselling deals with what drives the urge in the first place.

If you cannot decide which tool you need, raise it with the counsellor. Talking it through with someone who has no stake in your account can make the decision easier to keep.

You can call for yourself even when the gambling is someone else's. SARGF says family members can get support, and a counsellor can help you think through shared money, conversations at home and your own wellbeing. Our page on support for families of a problem gambler covers those first steps.

If anyone is in immediate danger or talking about ending their life, do not wait for an NRGP appointment. SADAG runs a 24-hour Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0800 567 567, and the crisis support page explains when to use it.