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Gambling firms should do more to promote responsible betting

BET

Many people are sinking deeper into debt and wallowing in poverty as they invest every coin on betting. FILE PHOTO | NMG

For many football fans, we are glad that the English Premier League (EPL) season is finally back. After many weekends of boredom and trying to find other ways of getting entertained, the EPL and other football leagues provide the ultimate pastime, a hobby and a unifying factor to millions across the globe.

For betting enthusiasts, the leagues provide them with an opportunity to put their money where their support is.

It has, however, not been a good two months for betting companies in Kenya as the government has been on an offensive to tame various industry players. The government has been seen to shift the rules of engagement. Anyway, some betting companies pulled the plug on sponsorship for various sports.

However, what has caught my attention the past week as I enjoyed the curtain-raising matches of the EPL season is the manner in which betting companies in the UK advertise their betting platforms.

I watched about five commercials as betting players advertised their services but it is how they did it that was really captivating, different and quite insightful from what we see from the local industry players.

Their campaigns were all crafted to advocate for responsible betting among their customers. They were urging them to set limits for themselves at any given time to avoid going overboard.

One, in particular, stated that your favourite team can lose and hence you can lose your bet and therefore that is the reality of betting.

This is what I would refer to as truthful advertising. Looking at the local scene, betting companies bombard us with enticing information to join their platforms for a quick million. They employ the best content creators and media personalities to push their agenda.

The result as we have seen is increased betting appetite among Kenyans. The massive growth in the betting industry in Kenya over the past five years is enough to leave many green with envy.

The effect of betting addiction has been broken homes, idleness, suicides and irresponsible financial decisions due to the glorification of betting as a gateway to riches.

This is not how it should be. Many people are sinking deeper into debt and wallowing in poverty as they invest every coin on betting.

My bone of contention with local betting companies and the reason why I support the ongoing crackdown by the government is the fact that they do not advocate for responsible betting among users.

Many argue that it is the responsibility of the government to provide jobs to the youth and putting all the blame on the gambling firms is uncalled for, but look at the impact of the betting craze on Kenyan youths.

I believe that the emotional and financial state of those who indulge in betting should be the number one priority of betting companies.

They would rather have responsible customers who understand emotionally as well as intellectually, the consequences of their actions, the consequences of betting.

I may not have the facts on the ground to support the effectiveness of the campaign by the UK companies but I believe that they have a significant impact among betting enthusiasts as far as making responsible and informed decisions is concerned.