Betting as an activity that is now posing a great threat to Kenya’s future generation.
Every other Radio station is broadcasting it every other minute. Indeed, most of the radio stations have their own betting setups. “Use your phone and send twenty shillings to two zero two three four and win millions” they declare.
An elderly lady at our office, 45 plus years of age walked up to me and posed “si unibetie leo? (Please bet for me today). She could not do it by herself because she did not know how to navigate the smartphone properly.
She had heard about sports betting from the radio and TV adverts and believed it was just as easy as putting your money on the phone, sending it to the said number and winning millions. In fact, when I tried to explain how betting works I could see consternation in her grey eyes; she was literally saying “you are delaying me from winning millions”.
Inside a public service matatu, an old man with grey hair seated next to me is struggling with his fast ageing eyes under the classes to analyse some football games. With no shame, he asks my opinion on what i thought of the games.
The government has a responsibility to deliver our founding prayers to the people. We cannot continue talking about fighting poverty 55 years after independence, yet we cannot be firm against obvious hindrances against the same fight.
The government should Immediately ensure that no school/university going youth are allowed to bet. This is to allow them to study and develop their careers instead of trading their time for gambling. Increase taxes for both betting companies and the individual winners.
These taxes should be specifically channeled to creating employment opportunities for the youth. Compel betting companies to educate their clients on the advantages and disadvantages of betting while at the same time encouraging them to embrace financial literacy for the masses too.
Financial Literacy will help the masses clearly understand how to earn, spend and grow money but most importantly, the difference between investing and gambling. Compel betting companies to disclose the number of winners in equal measure as to the number of losers.
The government has a responsibility to deliver our founding prayers to the people. We cannot continue talking about fighting poverty 55 years after independence, yet we cannot be firm against obvious hindrances against the same fight. The government should Immediately ensure that no school/university going youth are allowed to bet.
This is to allow them to study and develop their careers instead of trading their time for gambling. Increase taxes for both betting companies and the individual winners. These taxes should be specifically channeled to creating employment opportunities for the youth.
Compel betting companies to educate their clients on the advantages and disadvantages of betting while at the same time encouraging them to embrace financial literacy for the masses too.
Financial Literacy will help the masses clearly understand how to earn, spend and grow money but most importantly, the difference between investing and gambling. Compel betting companies to disclose the number of winners in equal measure as to the number of losers.
On one of our Financial Education tours with Standard Chartered Bank in Nyanza province in Kenya, a secondary school student walked up to me and said he needed help because he had used his Ksh 22,000 school fees to place several bets on gambling sites and had lost everything and is unable to concentrate on his studies as he dreaded being sent home from school to his harsh parents who will not understand this kind of shenanigan.
He is not alone. Stories of who has lost a lot of money betting are many;
Many a housewife has gambled with the food money, risking starvation for the family, being battered and divorced.
A cashier has taken money from his employers till, gambled and lost it all, then lost his job.
A man has betted using his rent and now his landlord has thrown his furniture, cookware, and family outside.
A boyfriend has wagered his girlfriend on a game and is now confused on what to do after losing the bet.
The government has a responsibility to deliver our founding prayers to the people. We cannot continue talking about fighting poverty 55 years after independence, yet we cannot be firm against obvious hindrances against the same fight. The government should
- Immediately ensure that no school/university going youth are allowed to bet. This is to allow them to study and develop their careers instead of trading their time for gambling.
- Increase taxes for both betting companies and the individual winners. These taxes should be specifically channeled to creating employment opportunities for the youth.
- Compel betting companies to educate their clients on the advantages and disadvantages of betting while at the same time encouraging them to embrace financial literacy for the masses too. Financial Literacy will help the masses clearly understand how to earn, spend and grow money but most importantly, the difference between investing and gambling.
- Compel betting companies to disclose the number of winners in equal measure as to the number of losers.