ARTICLES

HOW GAMBLING RUIN THE LIFE OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS (A Case Study of Bet9ja Sportybet and the Likes)

Gambling is a game common among Nigerian youths. It is one of the common self empowerment in the country as people believe they can get rich quickly by trying their luck. While some attribute gambling to unemployment, some say gambling is as a result of the passion for sports. While gambling has made some people rich it has also ruined a lot of life most especially Nigerian students who are undergraduates and the graduates are not left out. The common gambling in Nigeria are Baba IJEBU, sportybet, bet9ja and other gambling that I can’t remember while writing this article.

Gambling is addictive and quitting may seem difficult because the gamblers always believe that one day they would win and recover their loss. So they keep playing till they get broke as the chance of winning is slightly low compared to the winning and gain.

ALSO READ: HOW POVERTY MENTALITY AFFECTS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Reasons Why People Engage In Gambling:

1. UNEMPLOYMENT.

As a result of the rate of unemployment in the country, Nigerian youths prefer gambling to sustain themselves. Even though they are aware the chances of winning are low, they prefer to keep trying their luck. Some students also preferred gambling because it is stress-free just for you to predict accurately and win. While I was still a gambler I’ve witnessed many jobless youths and even married men in betting shop staking from morning till night. Some might end up winning for the day while those who were not lucky enough beg for a cut from winners.

2. LAZINESS.

Laziness is another reason why Nigerian youths engage in gambling. Some youths like to get rich quickly without stress and one of the sure ways to achieve this is through betting. Unfortunately some may be lucky while others keep trying their luck till they are wrecked.

ALSO READ: 4 Signs of a Cheater and the Consequences of Cheating

3. PASSION AND GREED.

The passion for sports and lottery compel people to gamble. More so, greed can also push one to gambling. Imagine you were told #100 can get you #10,000 on bet9ja with correct prediction, some are not lazy, some are not unemployed but due to their greediness to get rich quickly, they Switch to gambling and while some of the people in this category maybe lucky to win some may not and the implication of losing a game prediction is not something easy to bear because some students may gamble with their school fees. Some would borrow to gamble and when they get broke some will blame village people for their own misdeed.

Gambling has ruined many students’ lives, these students use their school fee to play bet9ja, some will even sell their properties to gamble with the hope that they will recover the money. Gambling is very very risky and even if you must take the risk it should be done responsibly otherwise your life might never progress.

Gambling almost ruined my life years back, In 2016 I went to a bet shop to charge my phone with my colleague and on getting there we saw people staking games and wining and also getting paid immediately, my coursemate tried his luck and won #12,000 I was motivated with his winning so I ran back home to pick money and I played mine too and I won #6,000 wow I felt happy that day I never knew that was a welcome.

I cooked soup with the 6k I won and kept the Remaining change for the next day. I went there the following day again to play. Unfortunately, betting collected all my money including the one I won the previous day. My parents sent me my school fee the following week and upon seeing the alert I went straight to withdraw and kept playing and playing and losing all I had. Sometimes I did win and play again, I kept playing and playing till my school fee finished. My dad sent me transport money to come home again. I used it to play bet9ja yet I didn’t win. I had to borrow money to travel home. If not for the help of well meaning people I could have dropped out of school that year.

Even after bet9ja taught me a bitter lesson I never gave up. I also played baba Ijebu lotto hoping to recover my loss from betting but still no changes tho sometimes i won but not up-to how much I have lost. I had to force myself to stop gambling because I was already addicted to it. I learnt my lessons the hard way. Some of my colleagues say they have seen people winning millions. They will use one small boy that owns millions as motivation but I haven’t seen any of them winning something reasonable.

I can still remember one of my course mates who was withdrawn from the polytechnic because he was unable to complete his registration, he used his registration fee to gamble and was unable to recover it until after examination. When I listened to other people’s stories about gambling I felt sad for them. Recalling how gambling almost ruined my life but I was lucky to discover my wrong path that time and quickly make adjustments.

Gambling is very difficult to quit because it is addictive especially when you win once in a while you will be like “I will soon recover my loss” but the truth is before you recover that your loss gambling may have left you wrecked. Betting itself is a spirit , the more you play and lose, the more motivated you are to play and still lose some more. The cycle goes on like that until you are completely broke as in broke, that’s when you will realize the level of your ignorance.

Gambling has ruined many lives. I hope you are not following that path too? Well if at all you must gamble do it responsibly but I don’t think that’s possible because you would always like to continue to bet hoping to win till you get broke, this is common among students and youths but the earlier you realize the implications of betting on your life the better for you.

Most of my friends that are into gambling have never won anything reasonable, they will keep on giving me examples of people I don’t know that have made it from gambling.

Ask yourself this question: why did these people open the gambling company in the first place? to make gain not to lose right? so they actually make gains from your loss so wake up and face reality.

Making millions within the twinkle of an eye isn’t as easy as it seems, if you are jobless I don’t think Gambling is the sure path to eradicate poverty, if I were you I would rather engage in a skill or start a business with the money than Gambling and if laziness is the reason why you prefer gambling, there are many online business you can do to make money at the comfort of your home without stress With that your smartphone even though online business is risk too at least it is better than gambling because you definitely know that cashing out Online is sure and legitimately but cashing out on gambling is never sure besides you Need to understand that “No food for lazy man” so get up and hustle if you want to get rich lay your hands on something. Do not rely on gambling.