Need to wean youth off allure of gambling

On January 11 this year, a journalist working for a leading media house in Kenya penned an interesting article titled, “10 rules you need to follow religiously to succeed in sports betting”.

It was a thought-provoking read just as it was an eye-opener into how deeply entrenched sports betting is in Kenya.

My attention was particularly drawn to the sixth rule; Thou Shall Not Bet to Recover Losses.

It expounds on the reasoning premised on the hope that proceeds from the next bet after a loss, in case it is a win, will recover the money lost and leave more for future betting.

This is precisely the irrational thought process driving most Kenyan youths deeper into the bondage of sports betting.

According to a series of Geopoll studies last year on the rise of sports betting on the continent, Kenya has the highest number of gambling youth between the ages of 17 and 35 in sub-Saharan Africa, and sports betting has become the most popular form of gambling.

Unfortunately, in this country gambling is legal and is perceived as a recreational activity.

There are no clear laws governing sports betting in the country and this has created opportunities for betting companies to set their own rules and play by them.

Besides the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act of 1966, which made way for gambling as a practice to be introduced as a developing industry, Kenya lacks a solid legal framework to controlling sports betting.

The closest the government has come to regulating the industry was in September last year when a 20 percent tax on bettors’ winnings was introduced through the Finance Bill 2018.

This was brought down from an initial proposed rate of 35 percent of gross gambling revenue by betting companies.

The downward review was partly attributed to some leading companies pulling out of their major financing arrangements with teams and federations.

Finally, it was agreed that the tax rate be brought down from 35 percent of gross gambling revenue to 15 percent, while imposing a new 20 percent tax on bettors’ winnings.

It is not uncommon to overhear the working class, especially on a Monday morning, sharing about their betting exploits for fixtures that took place over the weekend.

Going by the discussions, and because of such individuals’ ability to stake highly since they are on a payroll, the returns for those who win are alluring.

On the contrary, unemployed youths addicted to sports betting keep going blindly hoping for a win that will recoup what they’ve lost besides making them instant millionaires.

Betting companies have invented ways of ensuring that even with as little as five shillings anyone can place a bet and win one hundred times more.

This has continued the enslavement of the youth to the yokes of betting. In the end, they suffer gambling addiction, which is also known as impulse control disorder.

Obsessive bettors, just like drug addicts, are unable to control the urge to gamble even when they know that their gambling is affecting them or their loved ones.

Without proper legal and socio-economic structures, sports betting is rapidly emerging as a 21st century challenge to the youth in developing countries.