Kenyans getting addicted to betting

A few years ago, betting wasn’t such a common concept in remote parts of Kenya. If anything, people would jokingly bet about simple events around them such as if the rain will fall or it would be a sunny day. Of course all these depended on gut instincts or ability to make predictions. But since then, things have changed so much with internet services and smartphones increasing their presence in Kenya.

More online betting sites came about and news of lucky bet winners to the tune of millions spread life wildfires ending up firing up masses and creating ardent gamblers who being addicted to betting spare nothing to place bet.

Talk to any young man or even older people in villages of Kenya and they will effortlessly tell you so much about betting. Either they have at one point bet or do binge betting even now. Of course nobody needs to begrudge or judge anyone for using own money to bet for whatever teams they support but then reports of Kenyans committing suicide or plunging into depression after losing bets raise concerns.

Binge betting habit among Kenyans

Psychologically, we all get so much attracted and endeared to things that gratify. For instance, so many people you see braving the traffic jam at rush hours to report to work don’t do it simply out of love for jobs. The promise of a salary, job promotion and such goodies keep us motivated to defy odds and be the best. Its not any different for those addicted to betting.

If you sit down for a chat with anyone addicted to betting, you’ll realize that its not that they are completely ignorant of their situation. Most if not all of them really feel that the rewards they will likely get in case of a correct prediction and win matters more. So, they mindlessly place bets even with the last of their cash expecting to win big and it turns out to be a blunder.

High hopes and disappointments as currency of gambling in Kenya

If you’re wondering whether the talk about gambling addiction in Kenya is too early then know that 76% of the younger generation in Kenya have ever participated in gambling activities. If anything, such a staggering statistic should be alarming because it shows a country where the youth cast their hope on chances. With the get-rich-quickly mentality and inadequate guidance on gambling, thousands of millennials sink themselves deep into gambling.

The truth remains that gambling has contributed largely to making some Kenyans rich and sorting out their small personal problems through multi-bet. However, amplifying this benefit without also pointing out the shortcomings risk ignoring the full story which ought to be talked about. The gambling addiction in Kenya is something that should be a concern to us all. Let’s engage and inform especially the youth who rightly believe that betting brings them only a heartbeat away from becoming millionaires.

Why betting addiction in Kenya?

Betting has recently changed its meaning as masses flood to betting sites, wager and wait for a positive outcome. Unlike the past where betting was a recreational activity that gathered people in a casino to enjoy their favorite games, betting is now viewed as a source of income for unemployed youth. Some of the reasons why people are addicted to betting include unemployment, availability of smartphones, and advertisement of gambling sites. 

1. Unemployment 

A high percentage of Kenyans are not employed. Thus, they resort to betting so that they can earn some money. In addition, the employed ones use their peanuts to stake and wait to become rich. It does not matter whether they win or not, they continue staking whatever little they have with the hope of recovering what they have lost. 

2. Publicity and aggressive advertisements

Advertising gambling sites in local media greatly influenced the youth and lured them into betting  especially when celebrities are used as ambassadors. People who have been going through hard times in life. Because of this, they are the ones who are easily convinced that engaging in betting will make them forget stress. This mainly happens if they stake for the first time and win big. The issue makes gambling to be a habit to them with the expectation of getting wealthier.

3. Smartphones in every hand

The availability of smart phones to the millennials highly contributed to online betting. This is because  more youth are exposed to betting at an early age. Through betting apps on phones, punters can analyze games, odds and transfer money swiftly through mobile banking.  

4. Blind hope of getting instant, easy money 

The urge to become rich quickly makes people addicted to betting. Just recently, the taxes that Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) gets from gambling doubled. This is an indication that the betting sector is doing so well in Kenya. 

People still continue to gamble despite KRA increasing the taxes. But who does not love money? The fact that the government measures put  in place do not work is an indication that people’s thirst for money makes them continue betting even if they have to borrow from friends and relatives. 

Woes and cries about betting addiction in Kenya

Just like drugs, gambling wrecks families and relationships. This is  because when a person has sunk deeply into the habit, they are likely to spend most of their time betting. Thus, finding little or no time for family.

Besides, catering for the family bills becomes a burden because betting is given priority when wages are disbursed. Therefore, the gambler will be forced to take loans from friends to fill the money gaps, which further causes enmity and misunderstanding.

Depression and anxiety

Maybe you’ve lost count of how many cases of Kenyans becoming suicidal after risking money in betting. Mind you, those are just a few that get reported but hundreds if not thousands happen deep in the villages but go unreported. If a disease doesn’t kill you in Kenya then betting will.

Jobless Kenyan youth find solace in gambling when they feel low but the reality remains that betting can worsen such conditions particularly predictions that fail to match outcomes. Mental health is among the effects of betting addiction in Kenya, with a good number of youths falling victims of depression. Further, people suffering from betting addiction are likely to have low self-esteem which translates to insomnia and lack of appetite.

When one is depressed, there are high chances that the person will seek to engage in addictive activities and gambling or placing a bet is one of them. Gambling can trigger a hormone called dopamine. This can further result in other behaviors such as substance abuse and eating disorders. 

Poverty and high crime rates 

Lastly, betting addiction among Kenyans has been linked closely with the spread of crimes and perpetual poverty at a household level. Betting sites always put out a disclaimer to users that they ought to risk only what they are willing to loose but that isn’t really wjhat an average Kenyan gambler pays attention to.

A Kenyan gambler would swiftly turn to the teams and matches playing then to odds on display. They then hurry to fund their betting accounts and place their bet without exhaustively consulting prediction guides. Such risky betting behavior lead to losses and bet chasing which keep individuals sinking deeper into the murk of financial distress.

Cases of Kenyans being unable to pay bills or fend for their families especially in the slum areas tell the story of dejection. You’ll then hear that they spend so much of their time and money on betting which doesn’t materialize. Left with no options to get money for gambling, they resort to vices such as robbery. In some instances, gamblers stake their valuable things and properties in the hope of gaining more, but they end up losing everything. Also, gambling addiction becomes suicidal once the affected person has lost their property and feels empty.

In most cases, the people who are poor are the ones who gamble more as compared to the ones who are financially stable. This is because the poor bet with the hope of hitting a jackpot. But the question is, how long does it take for one to hit it? How much will you have to spend to hit the jackpot?

What’s the government doing to cub betting addiction

The Kenyan government launched an initiative to reduce betting addiction in April 2019. Besides, there are organizations such as Gaming Awareness Society of Kenya that started in 2016. It mainly creates gambling awareness for the university students in Kenya. The organization educates, protects, and prevents bettors from being addicted to gambling. 

Regulation of Gambling Sites Adverts

Regulating TV adverts for betting firms is among the measures established by the government to tackle the habit. TV advertisements are only allowed in the wee hours of the night when children are expected to be asleep. The question is whether it is really working. 

Still under advertisement, celebrities such as MacDonald Mariga were barred from participating in the ads. This is because youth may automatically presume that he got successful because of gambling. However, that is not true. 

Furthermore, following the announcement, most bookies have acted and changed their way of advertising their business to help the government to achieve its goal. For example, some betting sites no longer advertise in the form of football shirts, and perimeter sponsorship alongside relaying them on live sporting events and repeats.

Additionally, the government raised tax on betting to increase funds to reinforce sports and artistic activities to keep the youth busy thus having less or no time for gambling. The funds would also finance deployment of counselors and therapists to help already sinking addicts recover from depression. The funds may as well do away with unscrupulous betting companies that do not comply with the measures established by the Betting Control and Licensing Board.