Betting Companies: Making Africa’s Youth Poorer
You may ask, are betting companies really making Africa’s youth poorer? First of all, we should realize that poverty in Africa has been mechanized to harm the reasoning of many young people. It is the hand that feeds all evil, the vehicle on which questionable men have ridden to power, for they know there are less good judgments to make by a hungry man when a bag of rice is tossed up. Poverty fuels ignorance, and there are others, not in power, who are ever watching on how to prey on it as we seek to escape poverty.
Betting companies have taken a good position on this watch. They are on the rise as results have been forthcoming. They leverage on our aspiration for a better tomorrow to effectively rob us of our last few monies. Their operation may not be seen as illegal, but they are highly unethical as they are almost everywhere with adverts targeting the poor, offering hands of ‘rescue’ which have eventually sunk many into something worse than their previous conditions.
What does society stand to benefit from these betting companies? Nothing! Absolutely nothing when comparing the level of damage to the few employment opportunities it brings. Some of these damages, if not put in check, are foretelling of doom for the future of the African youth, many of which have embraced it as a shortcut to happiness.
In Kenya, which is one of the epicentres of sports betting in Africa, there are now betting groups for instance in the University of Nairobi just like there are tutorial groups. The tragedy is that the betting groups are superseding the tutorial groups by the day. Also, many students are now turning to sports betting to meet campus costs instead of getting parental assistance or student loans.
The tragedy cuts into the sad reality of many in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, and others who have resorted to suicide or theft as a result of addiction. Many who are addicted do not even know as they’ve made friends who constantly feed their addiction.
From all findings, the only way to make money from betting companies is to work for them. Any other attempt through staking is a short-term solution for a long-term problem.
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The article is submitted by Pelumi Adeniyi. He is a content writer and an ardent believer in Pan-Africanism.
Email: pelumiadeniyi247@gmail.com
Contact: +234 903 579 6962
All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.