Is Zambia now a Betting Nation?

I don’t know how many times I have been peered by level mates and subordinates to join sports betting. They insist that it not only gives them thrills but is a sure way of making unexpected cash.

The wagering of money on sports with a sole intent of making more is becoming rife in our country. Aided by online celebrity promotions, the betting octopus might just entangle an entire nation, starting with teenagers. As opportunities for gambling emerge and the smartphone craze is embraced, our country must start working on its gambling statutes.

As I write this article, I’m in the tourist capital Livingstone. The weekend attraction was clamorous noise from pretentious soccer fans rooting for their bets.

They were packed like sardines in betting houses, bars, markets, malls looking to reap from their wagers. To say sports betting is becoming ubiquitous in our country is an understatement. As a much travelled person, I have seen the mushrooming of myriad sporting betting houses throughout our country.

Rookie bettors and our smart phone addicted youngsters are being pushed by the easiness of mobile betting tricks. With growing internet penetration, the smart phone is now their best ally.

So the commotion we see in odd betting places is but a small spillover. I have seen drivers at Intercity, Kulima Tower, Soweto Market and related stations spend inordinately long periods of time discussing and planning bets.

Idle wait time is now spent on betting related ventures. Of course they are perfectly entitled to do what they want. My worry is on the emerging reliance and its after effects.

Popular blogger Chibamba Kanyama recently posted about a female health worker who flaunted her reliance on betting as a source of family income. How many workers are prone to the same habit?

To understand the power of betting advertisements, half the Premier League teams are sponsored by betting companies. With Bola ya pa zed, the trend is catching up and our children won’t realize what has hit them.

Perhaps weve always been a betting nation! Remember how long the State Lotteries Board has been in existence! What of Fwenya Fwenya!

In the olden days my grandfather, a shift boss in a mine was a Pick a lot fan. It was and is a form of betting where one would gamble by picking any 16 numbers from 1 to 90. You win if the numbers matched, diagonally, horizontally and vertically

Since we are a Christian nation allow me to add one angle. The Bible does not specifically address the subject of betting. The good part is that it does not also address many things that we know are sinful. It however has given a number of principles that provide a guide on how we should address those things. Interpretation is therefore your preserve!

Gambling deprives families of disposable income. It usurps the “work – reward” principle. In its addictive nature, it entrenches covetousness, greed and selfishness. It might bode well if took into consideration the words in 1 Timothy 6:9-10

Since children can use smart phone to take part in sports betting, perhaps we could device systems that can handle this menace. The money the state is earning from gambling should be ploughed back into sensitization of our young population.

Research is needed to look at how this bracket of young and vulnerable people can be protected from a marauding gambling circle. Betting messages that insist that gambling has no effect on children should be vetted. Policy makers should start putting in place safety mechanisms to protect families now. Let me go and wait for the running mate announcement!

The author is a social commentator who writes for pleasure.

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