BETTING KENYA Headache of sports gambling addicts 2 years ago Szarlot Post Views: 347 About a fortnight ago, we were seated in the office with mouths agape as we watched Liverpool tear apart Manchester United 5-0. It was a match I would not wish to dwell much on for fear of reopening old wounds for the Red Devils fans. However, while watching the game, one of us spoke of how his best friend was only 90 minutes away from becoming the newest millionaire in town. Apparently, this friend had placed a multibet on a number of matches and had thus far gotten it all right except for one remaining game: Manchester United v Liverpool. What stood between him and a cool Sh1.8 million was a Manchester United win on which he had staked his money. As we watched Mohammed Salah and Co. mercilessly turn Old Trafford into a theatre of nightmares and send the Red Devils to hell, we couldn’t help but shed a tear for the friend of our colleague. The story had me thinking of how hard it is to be a sports gambler — or to paint it more politely, wekezaji (investors). To experience such a roller coaster of emotions and still remain sane must be no walk in the park. One of our colleagues who was watching the game confessed about why he had to quit betting. “As a football fan, many times you are conflicted. You are sometimes forced to bet against your favourite team because they are underdogs against their opponents. So, you are watching the match and you want the opposition to win because of your money but at the same time, you are emotionally attached to your team. I just couldn’t cope with the pressure.” Years ago, I made friends with a fitness trainer at a gym I used to frequent in Kangemi. He was a bubbly fellow, always smiling and willing to provide useful tips on how I could gain more muscle. However, on certain days, he would become moody for no reason and refuse to even work out. He would be seated at his desk, fixated on his smartphone, and at times, placing it on the table in anger. I later came to learn that the sulkiness was due to his bets falling through — in street lingo we say bet imeungua. Contrast that to one time he made a cool Sh 70,000; he was smiling from ear to ear. It is not only an individual who suffers when his or her gambling fails to pay off but also the family and close friends. One of my colleagues spoke of how many gamblers use the money meant to pay school fees, rent or loans to place bets. Consequently, the family is entangled in a web of debt, disagreements, drug abuse and divorce. Sports betting is a roll of the dice with a 50/50 chance of success. Personally, I think it is not worth a headache, but for others who wouldn’t mind frequent racing pulses, I say… to each, his or her own. Source: the-star.co.ke About Post Author Szarlot I am a fan of casino games especially roulette and blackjack. After that I analyze current events in the gambling industry. See author's posts SzarlotI am a fan of casino games especially roulette and blackjack. After that I analyze current events in the gambling industry. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: addicts, Kenya, Sportbetting Continue Reading Previous Pragmatic Play is working with Supabets in South AfricaNext Kenyans place Sh83.2bn M-Pesa bets in six months More Stories BETTING KENYA University student hangs self after losing KSh15,000 school fees to betting 6 hours ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Bangbet Charges Ahead with Renewed Sponsorship for Josiah Kariuki 6 hours ago Samuel BETTING SOUTH AFRICA Nolimit City Celebrates South Africa Debut 1 day ago Samuel BETTING GR8 Tech enters long-term partnership with Mojabet 1 day ago Szarlot BETTING KENYA Odibets unveils Sh5m sponsorship for Kenya Women 3X3 basketball team 3 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS KENYA Tappi expands services across Africa beyond Kenya and Nigeria 3 days ago Samuel KENYA ONLINE iGaming’s Global Growth: From Africa to North America 3 days ago Szarlot KENYA ONLINE Kenya’s Blockchain Association Makes Plea for Detained Binance Executives 3 days ago Samuel BETTING NIGERIA Seun Kuti criticizes Nigerian elites over youths sleeping in betting shops 4 days ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Kayole Matatu Driver Newest Millionaire in Town After Winning KSh 3.4m 1 week ago Samuel BETTING NIGERIA Reps to organise public hearing on age limit for betting 1 week ago Samuel BETTING NIGERIA BetKing Renews Commitment To Ikorodu City FC 1 week ago Szarlot Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.