THE NEXUS
Advocacy Communication:
Part Antidote To The
Gambling Menace?
By Walter Chabala
I
n her book Kenya@50: Trends,
Identities and the Politics of
Belonging, Dr Joyce Nyairo says it
is fair to argue that in the past 10 years
Kenya has become a nation of gamblers.
Nyairo adds that the proliferation of
casinos in major urban centers in Kenya
is both a reflection of, and an impetus for,
a growing gambling mentality. I hasten
to add, if Kenya has become a nation of
gamblers, then certainly online sports
betting is the real life of this “party”. a deeper understanding of the Kenyan
betting consumer, their consumption and
gambling behavior, drivers, motivations
and decision-making patterns.
One of the study’s findings was that
gambling
was
becoming
popular
particularly among males in Sub Saharan
Africa due to their high affinity towards
sports and technology, combined with the
proliferation of local sports betting players
and the convenience of the mobile phone
as a tool for gambling.
The Numbers at a Glance Basically, the steady growth and reliability
of the technology supply chain is a key
factor in driving growth.
In April last year, GeoPoll ran a
quantitative nationwide survey via mobile
SMS to a sample of 1300 respondents
whose demography had a 50:50 male
to female ratio aged 18-45 years old.
Through their survey, they sought to gain
Kenya’s Current Reality
So here’s the fact, “Organized or not, legal
or otherwise, gambling has existed as long
Through policy; the betting companies
should be compelled to truly anchor
their operations on the spirit of shared
value. For instance, get involved in
more impactful long serving ventures
such as setting up of well-equipped tal-
ent centers that truly nurture young
talent. On this one however, allow me
to pique your mind; scholars often pose
“Can an industry be socially responsi-
ble if its products harm consumers?”
82 MAL32/19 ISSUE
as human beings have existed. Certain
retrospective studies on the development
of gambling note it has been part of the
human condition throughout recorded
history, and is among the earliest known
human behaviors”.
In Kenya however, the current craze for
this kind of activity is beyond all social
understanding. As the Canadian scholar
Amnon J. Suissa put it in her works
gambling and cyber-addiction as a social
problem, “What used to be considered
a sin, a vice, deviant behavior, and an
outlaw industry is now seen as a disease,
a psychiatric pathology partaking of
loss of control, and an impulse disorder.
Gambling is also presented as a legitimate
form of entertainment, a catalyst for
economic development, a source of
revenue for various levels of government,
and a tool for job creation.” That is exactly
the same place Kenya finds itself in. The
situation is at crisis level.
Towards Problem Solving…
Current legislation may be insufficient or
ineffective in protecting problem gamblers
and others who might be at risk e.g.
minors, young adults/university students.
For this reason, some insist on an absolute
ban on both online and all other gambling
forms. Others however, believe that
though allowed, both should be subjects
of stringent regulation.
One author Margaret Carran opines that
“whether any are necessary at all and how
they are situated within the legislative
framework is determined by a specific