Levy, an 11-year-old a grade four pupil recently moved to Lusaka from Chipata to live with his newly wedded sister. Adjusting to the city life was not easy as the Nyanja spoken in Lusaka was very different from what he grew up speaking. His friends would laugh at him when he used words such as “wenye” which no one in class seemed to understand. For a whole term, he felt out of place and missed his old school and friends. Nothing was exciting about Lusaka and he was not a fun of television. Even when his brother-in-law bought him a tablet, he didn’t find it interesting. In the third term, he was transferred to a new class where he found that his new classmates were into soccer at the grounds after class. This seemed interesting as he loved soccer so much and was a team captain back home in Chipata. He quickly become good friends with the boys and life was exciting once more. He asked his elder sister to buy him soccer boots which she did. What was surprising was how some of his soccer team mates quickly disappeared after playing soccer in the grounds, as he would not see them on the way back home. Every Friday, he noticed that some of his classmates would entirely miss from the soccer game. One day, he got the courage to confront a boy who sat behind him in class about the whereabouts of his team-mates on Fridays. To his surprise, he was told he could join them if he had a K20 and to keep quiet about it. Excitedly, Levy asked for money back home and was ready to join his friends. After school that day, the boys unbuttoned their shirts and headed to the market, straight to a slot machine.
Gambling is where people risk money or valuable items to win a prize based on an unknown result. It is a game of chance, so the odds of winning are generally low. There are many forms of gambling; some common types are racing and sports betting, slot machines, betting on card games, lotteries and scratch tickets.
Gambling behaviour in children and adolescent forms a continuum that ranges from a non-gambling status to an occasional, recreational, non-problematic or social gambling which finally leads to a problem, pathological, compulsive behaviour.
The legal age for public gambling is 18 years in Zambia but children and teenagers gamble nevertheless. Teenagers often take part in informal types of online gambling like buying ‘loot boxes’ in video games. Unlike public gambling, informal online gambling has less regulation. All manner of gambling can be addictive and hard to stop.
Types of gambling and gambling-like activities for young people include:
- Smartphone games with in-app purchases (microtransactions)
- ‘Loot boxes’ in video games
- Raffle tickets
- Sports betting
- Card games
- Lottery tickets and scratch cards
- Arcade games
Some of these examples above are not traditional types of gambling. However, they involve risking something on an unknown result and therefore they encourage gambling-like behaviour.
Young people learn about gambling from an early age. They visit arcades or game zone areas and play games to risk money for prizes. They turn on the television and see gambling ads. They watch social media videos sponsored by betting companies. By the time they are teens, many view gambling as a normal part of life.
Some adults might argue that their children do not go anywhere where there are slot machines but you need to know about gamblification which most children with access to phones or tablets are exposed to daily.
“Gamblification” refers to gambling-like features in video games and other types of digital entertainment. These elements could be small and rare, like spinning a roulette wheel for an in-game bonus, or they could be the focus of the game.
Examples of common gambling-like features include:
- Tokens;bought with real money and can be exchanged in a game for specific items or packs with random contents – from performance boosts to weapons.
- ‘Loot’ boxes; whichare mystery boxes bought using tokens or real money. They usually hold in-game items, upgrades and ‘skins’ to change the look of avatars (characters).
Simulated gambling elements mimic the look, sound and actions of traditional gambling but do not involve winning or losing real money.
Loot boxes are common in online video games as they make a lot of money for gaming companies. Like traditional gambling, loot boxes encourage players to risk money without knowing the outcome. If they are unhappy with the items in a loot box, they may want to ‘chase their losses’ and keep buying more until they feel they have won – no matter the cost.
The decision-making parts of the brain are not fully formed until around age 25. This means that teens may find it hard to understand the dangers of gambling, making them more impulsive. They can lose control of their actions and struggle to stop gambling. Gambling in childhood increases the chances of gambling problems in adulthood.
Aside from losing money, children and teens who gamble may also:
- feel shame and guilt
- develop mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety
- have problems with alcohol and other drugs
- perform poorly at school
- skip school
- have relationship problems with family and friends.
Teens and young people may not admit to gambling. In some cases, they may not even know their actions count as gambling.
Warning signs of problem gambling could include:
- changes in spending habits, such as asking for money more often
- a drop in school marks and taking multiple days off school
- less interest in usual activities, such as after-school sports
- acting sad, distracted or withdrawn
- low energy levels and poor sleep patterns
- sudden interest in professional sports and sporting results, including checking scores for multiple sports at once
To parents who gamble, your children watch what you do. Many children admit seeing their parents play “ka ndeke” or place bets on games. Just as we do not carry our children to drinking places so that children seat and wait for us to finish our alcohol, lets ensure that we protect our children from these bad habits we involve ourselves in.
It is everyone’s duty to report outlets dealing in betting and gambling that allow under-age children in their premises. If you see children at the market, report to relevant authorities so that, the place can be closed or answerable to the law.
Talking with your child about gambling is the best way to teach them about the risks. It is important to have an open discussion free from judgement. Lecturing your child may build resentment and push them into riskier behaviours. The goal is to make them feel supported – whether they have gambled before or not.
Timing is the key to a helpful conversation. Teens and young people are more likely to talk freely when relaxed and not focused on anything else. For example, your child may not want to chat while they are playing a video game. After dinner or driving to school may be good times to raise the subject.
You could also always start a conversation when your child asks for money to know what the money is for or when a gambling ad comes on television, bring up the gambling topic by asking them what they know about betting so that you prompt a discussion which will give you an opportunity as a parent/guardian to educate them.
To the Ministry and Minister of Education, make the dangers and effects of gambling a priority repeat subject and topic, because “the scourge of child gambling is growing at an alarming rate.”
Seek help when in need, visit a Counsellor near you!
