South Africa, Feb. 16 -- And of course, some 'gambling' is harmless fun. But the recent surge in popularity of online gambling has highlighted its dark side.

Online gambling is not new. Apparently, it was a South African company that developed the world's first online casino software in Durban as early as 1994.

Online gambling first became major national news locally in the early 2000s, primarily driven by the high-profile legal battle involving Piggs Peak Casino, when the Gauteng Gambling Board tried to restrict the eSwatini-based operator that was advertising heavily to South Africans.

In 2011, a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling declared online gambling (interactive gaming) illegal in South Africa, and Piggs Peak was forced to stop acc...