By Stephen Mutoro
OCT 28 – The prevalence of gambling addiction among children and minors is a pressing issue that demands attention of all Kenyans.
Ethical and social responsibilities of betting firms in safeguarding this vulnerable population from the harm of gambling addiction need not to be gainsaid.
The gambling industry has faced criticism for its role in promoting addictive behaviors. The rise of online betting platforms and aggressive marketing strategies have made access to gambling easier for young people.
This has led to consistent and widespread concerns about the long-term effects of early exposure to gambling activities on the mental well-being of children and minors.
In February this year, COFEK obtained Court orders against the Betting Control & Licensing Board (BCLB) requiring it to ensure that none of its’ licensees advertises itself on Opera browser’s ‘speed dial’ feature. All but one betting firm remains in contempt of the said order.
In many jurisdictions, there are regulations in place to prevent minors from participating in gambling activities.
Betting firms are often required to verify the age of their customers and to implement safeguards to prevent under-age gambling. In Kenya, children can easily access phones with M-Pesa facility – and on which they, daily, and easily place bets.
Loopholes in these regulations and lax enforcement have allowed minors to circumvent these measures and engage in gambling activities.
Section 28 of the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, Cap 131 states that it is a breach of law for any person who bets with a young person; or employs a young person on licensed betting premises or in connection with a pool betting scheme.
The same law also cautions against advertising targeting a “young person” who is defined as anyone who is under the age of eighteen years and whom the person committing an offence in relation to him under this section knows, or ought to know, to be under that age; or who is apparently under that age.
There are too many accounts of school-going children who have committed suicides after losing all their school fees, without their parents knowledge and consent, to betting firms.
Some parents have become alcohol and or drug addicts after wasting away their family assets on betting and gambling.
Accordingly, betting firms have a moral obligation to protect the society – and in particular children and minors from the harms of gambling addiction.
By allowing young people to gamble, these companies are complicit in the development of addictive behaviors that can have long-lasting consequences on individuals and society as a whole.
Research has shown that early exposure to gambling can increase the risk of developing addiction later in life.
Needless to mention, children and minors are particularly vulnerable to the allure of gambling due to their still-developing brains and susceptibility to peer pressure.
Betting firms must recognize the role they play in shaping young people’s attitudes towards gambling and take proactive measures to mitigate the risks.
Some argue that parents and guardians bear the primary responsibility for protecting children from gambling addiction. While this is true to some extent, betting firms also have a duty to ensure that their products and marketing strategies do not harm vulnerable populations.
While critics of stricter regulations on betting firms may point to the potential economic impact of limiting their target demographic, the loss in economic value can never be compared to the cost of destroying a generation via betting and gambling.
Long-term costs of not addressing gambling addiction among children and minors far outweigh any potential short-term economic benefits.
The government, through BCLB, has the singular duty of ensuring that betting firms, without exception or fail, take proactive steps to protect children and minors from gambling addiction.
Implementing robust age verification processes, promoting responsible gambling practices, avoiding intrusive advertising platforms such as the ‘speed dial’ and actively partnering with organizations that specialize in youth addiction prevention – such as COFEK is long overdue.
Failure to address these issues could lead to greater scrutiny from regulators and damage to the industry’s reputation.
Betting firms must be seen to play a crucial role in preventing gambling addiction among children and minors. Balance between profits and social good is the only way of sustaining their business – now and into the future.
By fulfilling their ethical and social responsibilities, betting firms can contribute to a safer and more sustainable gambling environment for future generations.
While at it, we must agree that self-regulation has had consistent dismal results. Only stricter legal regulation and public education on their rights will help attain the
It is imperative that we hold betting firms accountable for their actions and advocate for stricter regulations to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
Only through collective efforts can we ensure a gambling landscape that is safe and responsible for all.
Mutoro is the Secretary General of the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK)
