Psychologists say that most people badly affected by gambling need support.
The desperate plea made by one family on behalf of a relative hopelessly addicted to gambling has become the stuff of legend. They approached the man’s favourite betting company and made a passionate plea: “Please block him from your systems.”
Nothing else had worked to keep the man away from gambling. He had lost everything: his wife, his dignity, and assets valued at hundreds of thousands of shillings, which he sold for a song.
His daily existence began and ended with bets placed, handsome wins almost secured, and the gaping financial abyss he couldn’t stop digging himself into.
The company listened. Although it is a profit-making entity, upon examining the man’s gambling history, it sympathised with the household. It blacklisted his contacts and national ID number from its systems.
Furthermore, the company offered to liaise with other betting firms to ensure he was locked out across the board. His national identity card number will never be used to open an account with any self-respecting betting firm in Kenya.
A family source who shared the man’s story said that this proved effective, as he ended up rediscovering himself.
His cold-turkey approach to quitting sheds light on the various ways individuals can free themselves from the grip of gambling addiction.
Gambling addiction can be related to other addictions, such as alcoholism.
1. Make the ‘ingredients’ scarce.
Mr Harrison Irungu, who was once consumed by gambling, turned over a new leaf when he was taken to a rehabilitation centre and separated from his mobile phone.
“I stayed at the centre for three months. Something remarkable happened while I was there,” he told Lifestyle.
He said that being separated from his phone was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
“I realised that I had peace of mind. While I was at the centre, I wasn’t anxious or shivering, and I was generally doing well. I didn’t feel like touching my phone or doing anything else. Of course, you don’t have access to a mobile phone while you’re in rehab. That is when it hit me. I had peace when not placing bets,” he said.
According to gambling addiction counsellor Gloria Obande, money is another ingredient that can be made scarce to keep betting at bay.
She says that if a person creates a tight budget for their finances, they can rise above temptations.
“With budgeting, any money coming in — since cash itself is a trigger — is money that is well planned for and appropriated. One does not have excess finances with no obligation, as such money can trigger the desire to bet,” said Ms Obande.
2. Seek counselling
According to the counsellor, therapy isn’t something that many Africans willingly pursue. This poses a challenge, she says.
“Most people think it is unnecessary and ineffective,” she said.
“There is a lack of information. Many people do not know that there are places where gambling addicts can receive therapy. You can also be counselled for whatever crisis you are going through.”
Ms Obande adds that interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy are used to treat gambling addiction.
“This helps patients to restructure their thought processes,” she said.
“An individual could have a thought process indicating: ‘I need to do this’ or ‘I need to place a bet.’ The counsellor or therapist then restructures this into a healthier, more balanced thought, such as, ‘Is it really necessary? Do I really need to do this?’” What is a more balanced thought? What is a more balanced thought process?”
She adds that, from this point of view, individuals can change their thought processes, shifting their perception of gambling from a necessity to an optional activity.
“They are able to see things from the perspective of having experienced negative consequences or effects from their previous gambling experiences,” said Ms Obande.
John Mutua, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Gambling Operators of Kenya.
John Mutua, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Gaming Operators of Kenya, says betting should be purely for entertainment.
“It is not a means to financial gain. It’s not a financial conversation where you’re thinking, ‘I need to make a profit. This is how I’m going to meet my obligations’. This is an entertainment conversation,” he told Lifestyle.
However, psychologists say that most people badly affected by gambling do not see it that way, hence the need for support.
“There are skills that can help individuals calm down during a crisis. Once they have relaxed, they can make more rational decisions that won’t affect their lifestyle,” said Ms Obande.
Gambling addiction cuts across gender and class lines, though patterns differ.
3. Get medication
Apart from counselling, another intervention at rehabilitation centres is administering medicine to addicts.
Dr Linus Oyugi, a clinical psychologist at Chiromo Hospital
Group in Nairobi says individuals hooked to gambling are taken through a
12-step recovery process “similar to what other addicts go through”.
“Depending on the severity of the addiction, it may be necessary to administer medications such as antidepressants or mood stabilisers in the initial stages,” he said.
4. Use the help offered by betting firms.
Recognising that gambling can be addictive and that it can ruin lives, betting companies now have platforms that help punters get their lives back on track due to government regulations.
According to Mr Mutua, this assistance includes connecting customers to counsellors.
“Most of our members have programmes in which they have partnered with the government and non-state organisations. They can provide assistance if professional help is needed,” said the chief of the Gaming Operators of Kenya.
The companies also have tools that enable users to take a break for a few days. Lifestyle sampled some local betting firms and found that they offer breaks of up to a year.
“If you feel you may be at risk of developing a gambling problem, or if you believe you are already experiencing such a problem, we encourage you to consider taking a break,” says Betika, one of the companies.
5. Understand how the betting ecosystem works.
Legislators have expressed concern about the betting craze in Kenya.
The well-known adage “the house always wins” is a reflection of this.
It implies that the system is designed to benefit the business offering the gambling service.
Last year, a betting company employee confessed that although wins on platforms like Aviator appear random, there is actually an algorithm that ensures the vendor has already made a profit before paying out a small percentage for every win.
“Aviator is nothing short of a trap, and the public has no idea how deep this setup runs.’ Most of the so-called winners with big usernames staking large amounts and cashing out at perfect moments are not real. They are bots: automated scripts designed to make the game appear active,” the insider told blogger Mr Cyprian Nyakundi.
“The game is built on a random number generator, yes, but from what I’ve seen, this generator is not standalone. It is tied to user behaviour, stakes, and system settings.”
The employee added that, although it may appear fair, it can still be weighted heavily against the player when it needs to protect profits or limit withdrawals.
“This means that Aviator does not just randomly crash. It adjusts itself when big bets are placed. It triggers wins when smaller bets are placed, and it fakes activity around you so you feel like you are part of a big crowd that is getting wealthy, even though you are sitting in an echo chamber built to bleed you dry slowly,” the worker said.
They added that they feel heartbroken when they receive phone calls from people who have gambled away everything they had and do not know what to do.
“Many are confused and broken. Unfortunately, the system doesn’t pause them, flag them or even slow down. Their loss is someone else’s gain, and as long as the money keeps flowing in, the game continues as if nothing is wrong,” they said.
According to SportPesa, its self-exclusion feature ‘allows you to close your account for a particular period’.
A football fan engages in sports betting.
“This will give you time to take a break from betting and reflect,” it adds.
Mozzart Bet says that, once a customer has chosen self-exclusion, they will only be readmitted after sending an email to that effect.
In the responsible gaming section of its website, Mozzart reiterates the message that betting should be for entertainment only.
Bet within your limits. Only gamble with money you can afford to lose,” it says.
“Never place bets under the influence of alcohol, when stressed or depressed. It further encourages punters to keep track of their gambling history and amounts spent, as ‘this will help you take breaks and reassess your decisions.”
Ms Obande says that such safety tools can help people to bet or gamble responsibly.
However, a grandmother in Nairobi who is struggling to shake off her addiction to the Aviator gaming platform claims that the process of quitting or taking a break is intentionally made long and tedious, whereas signing up only requires a few steps.
“They ask you a lot of questions and even require email verification, which is often not necessary when signing up,” said the 52-year-old.
Last month, she decided to take a 180-day break from the multinational betting company with a large presence in Kenya.
***
As this is the final instalment of our special project on the betting crisis in Kenya, we would like to inform our viewers and readers that we have taken stock of their contributions to the published stories.
When the NTV special ‘A Chasing After the Win’ was broadcast on Sunday, the comments on the YouTube upload provided a sobering analysis of just how dire the situation is. Military Matrix likened gamblers to hamsters spinning on their wheel.
“When they win, they want to win more; when they lose, they want to recover what they have lost. It’s a hamster wheel,” he said.
When we posted the story on Facebook about the elderly woman who gambled away her grandchild’s lunch due to her Aviator addiction, we saw comments like this from Mamake Debrah: “This thing can make you kill yourself. It made me lose my one-bedroom house and my job upcountry.”
When we posted about Christians in a dilemma about the godliness of betting, we noted Stanley Wekesa’s comment. He did not mince words: “Gambling is a sin. Stop it.”
We also noted Murimi Owen’s remark under the same thread:
“It’s not a sin, it’s survival. Same as forex.”
When we posted on Facebook about how betting shops are targeting first-timers, Alfred Orek’s comment was apt: “Betting shops are now competing with churches set up in residential areas.”
The situation in many parts of Kenya, both rural and urban, has become a case of God made man, man made money...
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Additional reporting by Cellestine Olilo and Michael Ochieng.
