This archive report was first published on 26 July 2019.
According to a new survey by Infotrak, Rift Valley residents are the most affected by the gambling epidemic in Kenya. The poll, which involved 1,048 respondents, showed that 74% of gamblers were men and 26% women.
Furthermore, the survey revealed that a majority of gamblers, 70%, are youth aged between 18 and 35 years. Rift Valley accounted for 30% of active gamblers, followed by Nairobi at 19% and Central at 12%.
Interestingly, the survey found that 40% of Kenyans who gamble do so every day, with more women, 25%, betting several times in a day compared to men at 20%. Only 16% of gamblers bet twice a day, 13% do so thrice a week, while 10% bet weekly.
Moreover, the survey noted that seven out of 10 Kenyans who bet and lose will still go ahead and place another bet. Most disturbingly, 17% of Kenyans who lose bets would consider suicide as a way out.
Infotrak's Special Projects and Loyalty Research Manager Walter Nyakundi said, 'I think this is just the highlight of the problem that manifests in our society through things like financial pressure which points to mental health. It is an indication that we might just have a pandemic.'
Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i also weighed in on the issue, saying, 'Some of you here are parents, what are we raising our children to be? Should they just sit and do nothing but place a bet and one-day wake up a millionaire?' He also noted that 54% of Kenyans involved in betting are from the low-income brackets.
Electronic or online sports betting platforms are the ones mostly used at 87%, followed by betting kiosks at 7%. The survey also found that majority of individuals who have tried to quit betting are youth, with 56% of those aged between 18 and 24 and 68% of those aged 25 to 29 saying they have tried to quit.
Published on July 26, 2019.
