As a 35 year old housewife, Rita would pass time on social media after doing her chores and sending kids away to school. TV was not much of her thing, so she spent her spare time following Zambian celebrities. She followed them religiously seeing she didn’t have that many friends in Lusaka. Having come from a rural set up in Kaoma, social media was her getaway to the world. Now all these celebrities were now encouraging joining WhatsApp group to win big and advertising all these betting companies that were giving free 300% promotional bonuses. She thought to herself what she had to lose when it was her favorite celebrity promoting it. She couldn’t believe her luck when having bet a K300, she won a K3000. She immediately made plans for the money and took her kids to the mall and even got a shirt for her husband. The win made her happy and scared at the same time. She could not even tell her husband the truth when he questioned her as to where she got the money from, instead she said it was her turn to receive chilimba from her friends.

It was now two weeks from the first time she gambled. Her money from the win had run out and all she had to show for it was the shirt she had bought for her husband. Looking into her mobile money account, she only had a K50. As luck would be on her side, her husband transferred money for groceries and school food for the kids. Boom, she now had K1500 in her account. The urge to play some games kicked in so badly. I will only use not more than K200 so she thought, she bet K200 at once and lost it all, she tried a K100 and it was gone. She tried another K150, it was gone. At this stage, she started having second thoughts, so she whispered a prayer and bet another K200. Her eyes were now turning red and she knew she had to stop, her plan was to buy some relish and would improvise on her kids lunch boxes, hoping the husband doesn’t notice. Instead of the usual polony sandwiches, the kids would do with peanut butter sandwiches and jiggies for the next 2 weeks. She decided baking at this point would make sense. That night, she hardly slept as she kept thinking of how to earn back the K900 she had lost.

The next day, she decided to borrow money from her sister in marriage, telling her it was for her sick mum. The sister-in-law sent K500 to her mobile account and Ritas betting games started all over again. This time, she won a K4000 which sent her over the moon but the urge to quit didn’t come. She thought she could earn more from the K4000 and by the time she realized it, she had lost K3200. She was not convinced, the betting games had tumbuma (voodoo dolls that specifically steal money). How could this be, what if my husband finds out I borrowed from his sister, what will he say? How could I not ask him for money if indeed mum was unwell. At this stage, Rita has become a gambler, every little ngwee she had as little as K20 was spent on betting. Her husband noticed that the monies Rita received for household expenses were suddenly becoming inadequate, when he learnt of her gambling addictions, it was because she had borrowed money from most of his relatives and some neighbors who were now demanding back their money and what hit the nail on the head was when some people came to his home on a Saturday afternoon to pick up the television set as he sat enjoying an Arsenal game that he realized the extent of his wife’s problem.

Jack was a struggling civil servant having sent his daughter to college and barely keeping up with bills at home. His wife, a schoolteacher was trying to help but as you know, university or college expenses especially for a girl child wanting to keep-up with the trends can be a challenge. And so, looking at the cost of mealie meal, fuel for his small car almost running on E, Zesco units at 20 and his wife texting him to say he comes home with a tray of eggs for supper and if possible, a loaf of bread, Jack could not resist the invitation when his colleague invited him to join him for drinks at the usual joint. He took the opportunity to forget his worries and as he was drowning in his cold drink, the adverts for betting kept popping up on the big TV screen in the club. He looked at his phone and thought, ‘what do I have to lose?’ He bet a K300, the last of his money and he couldn’t believe when he won three times more than he had bet. He quickly left his drink unfinished, didn’t say bye to his friends, passed through a local butchery and bought some chicken pieces, eggs, two loaves of bread and his favourite beef liver, a delicacy he hadn’t had in a while. The wife could see that something good had happened but when she tried to enquire, he made sure she enjoyed herself that evening like on their honeymoon day.

Unfortunately, the week that followed was pay day, Jack thought he should try his luck, this time, he could bet in the comfort on his home, he remembered some Zambian male celebrity who was always bragging about betting and thought he could learn a thing or two from him. So, he used his promo code, received his prom discount and begun his betting. He lost his first bet of K600, tried the second time betting K500 and won. He thought luck was on his side, crossed his chest and bet K3000. It was gone, he had lost the bet. He crossed his chest again, bet a K2000, he lost it too. Just like that, his whole salary gone. He started sweating profusely, looked for his bp medications and took some even though he had already taken for that day. His head was spinning, he looked in wife’s medicine box for the strongest pain killer and there was only Panadol. Sadly, the pressure was too much for Jack, he suffered a stroke that night.

Chris was a young executive working for an international organization. When his boss asked him to entertain and make welcome the visitors from the headquarters who were going to be in for three weeks, he did not realise it meant hanging out with them at casinos almost every evening. He actually had no idea which casinos were happening in Lusaka. After several enquiries from his former university WhatsApp groups, he got a few recommendations. The first evening was boring for him as he sipped on his wine waiting for his guests to be done which was hours later. The next day, he tried taking them to the happening clubs and places in Lusaka which they found boring and insisted he takes them to another casino. The third day, he asked the workers in the casino to show him the simplest game, his guests were happy to see him play and paid for his games. He could not believe the adrenaline he felt at his first win and even when he lost a game, the feel-good effect was the same. That evening in his bed, he decided he was going to be sober in the next game at the casino as he suspected the feel good was coming from a laced drink.

And so, the next day, he sipped on water as he gambled and he was still feeling good, he now realized why his international colleagues gambled. For the next three weeks, he spent each evening at different casinos in Lusaka and now he could easily take alcohol knowing the feel-good feeling was from playing games. When his international colleagues left, he begun to feel low and depressed as he drove home passed the casino. He could not believe himself when he made a U-turn at the roundabout to go back to the casino. By the time he was done, he had spent a K10,000.00, for an executive, it was ok. After all, his friends spent more on girlfriends. And so twice a week, he looked forward to hitting the casino. On some evenings, spent up to K30,000. The wife begun to notice that their savings account was going down and when she questioned him, he lied that he was making progress on the flats they were building. He quickly realized he needed to cover that lie up and informed his wife, he had actually acquired a property which he was paying for.

His sex life was going down, he no longer felt the urge as all the good feelings came from his gambling. When he got paid, he set aside K50,000 as gambling money. Sometimes he won back his money, but he reached a point where winning and losing felt the same, he would simply get a high from gambling. A man who never borrowed for school fees, was now getting advances at work to settle his children’s fees. The worst part was when he gambled his house papers, this was when the wife learnt the truth, when the eviction notice came through.

Like addictive drugs such as cocaine, heroin, nicotine and alcohol, gambling activates the brains reward system which is powered by dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter inside the brain that reinforces sensations of pleasure and connects these sensations to certain behaviors or actions.

Gamblers often motivate themselves by saying If I keep gambling, I might win eventually and that can be said to be the same about alcohol, tobacco or any abused substances, so they go on gambling and eventually they do make some wins.

Ever experienced a meal that is so good you simply won’t stop eating, I know for one that when my nana (mother) cooks her signature shombo visashi (pounded cassava leaves in peanut sauce), I never get full except to tell myself that I have had enough and need to wash my hands, she’s the main reason I can’t stick to a diet. Back to our subject, a gambler will not stop gambling even after having made a win because the body is constantly creating a feel-good chemical reaction. And like the main pleasurable activities such as sex or drug abuse, gambling surely raises our dopamine levels which causes one to continue with the gamble even after collecting their winnings. And if they are unfortunate, will lose all their winnings in that continuous gamble and the cycle continues.

The brain becomes used to the habitual dopamine release and a behavior is formed. It is no longer about wining which was the primary factor but what your body feels. The need to gamble and for as long as you are gambling, whether you lose or not, the chemicals in the body are released and you feel good.

Engaging in activities such as exercise, meditation, playing with pet, walking in nature, reading a good book, watching comedy, a favorite movie, listening to good soothing music, baking and sex for married couples, can release dopamine naturally. Dopamine receptors are damaged in the brain when drugs are used to stimulate pleasure. Find what calms and makes you feel good in the long run as gambling is as bad as drug or substance abuse and brings about low self-esteem, stress, anxiety and depression.

Gambling affects one’s personal life, from health to finances and relationships. In the past it was mainly in casinos but now it’s happening right in our homes, offices, as people simply need to go online. This problem is not only affecting teenagers but adults as well and therefore, it’s important for one to realise they have a problem; when they get a thrill from gambling, use gambling to escape negative emotions, need financial support and have failed attempts in quitting. It’s important to know what your triggers are, is it being around friends who also gamble? Is it stress or just wanting to feel good? Urgers for addicts do not last, five minutes can feel like forever but if you can fight the urge for just five minutes, you will be shocked that you have overcome. Instead, do an activity that will make you feel good, exercise, bake, take a walk, watch a good movie or comedy, dance or listen to good music. Find a good hobby that should take up the time for gambling and stay clear of high-risk situations. If it’s your phone, deliberately put it away, stay away from places that are constantly advertising betting, delete betting apps and do not socialize in places where gaming takes place. If your route to home is along a casino, find an alternative route, change the channel if watching sports makes you want to bet. Above all, be logical in your thinking, do you think betting or gambling companies want to make losses, they let you win for a while so they can win big in the end, it’s business for them.

In our compounds, most shops have these betting machines where children have access to and sadly even mothers go with coins to bet. Now a child who gets a coin and bets as a young child will grow up believing it’s okay to bet and earn quick money and this is the generation we are raising. Our country has been hit hard by gambling, whether it be the youth or adults and it would be in the interest of government to deliberately put extreme high taxes to reduce this scourge and for our councils to be strict with licences in the shops in our compounds for those operating betting machines which are sadly owned by foreigners who in their own countries have very strict rules on gambling and only in designated areas.

Seek help when in need, talk to a counsellor near you!

About the author

Aka Monde, is a licensed Professional Counsellor who holds a Master of Science in Counselling from the University of Zambia. She believes in the adage “a problem shared, is a problem half solved.” Speak to your pastor, church elder, elderly family member or see a professional counsellor when in need.

Email: [email protected]