My Football Facts ⇒ Football Bets and Gambling

 By Jonathan Lewis | 9th October 2023

A trail of excitement has always existed around card sharpers, slot machines, and dishonest sweepstakes. An onlooker far from the industry encountered this side only through films but firmly formed the opinion that this is absolute evil. For a long time, it was like this: the closed card world robbed the fool dry, slot machines did not provide even the illusion of choice, bookmakers could easily refuse payments, and there was no one and nowhere to complain. However, times have changed, and bookmakers are positioning themselves as legal, law-abiding companies. Let’s figure out whether betting is as evil as it is made out to be.

The Modern Face of Betting

In modern Kenya, betting and gambling are legal and extremely popular. Numerous bookmakers and sites related to betting eloquently speak about this, for example, bet-guide.ke. The most significant change is that betting has become legal and professional. The industry itself benefited from legalization. If previously it was almost impossible to accidentally get into dangerous betting, today, advertisements for such sites can be seen almost everywhere, especially at sporting events.

The Positive Side of Betting

Bookmakers bring tangible benefits to the country and society.

  • Like other legal companies, bookmaker sites regularly pay taxes, contributing to developing the country’s economy and improving the social situation.
  • Many bookmakers are actively involved in charity work, especially in sports. They often support young athletes and local teams. Perhaps no other business can boast of such large-scale charitable programs.
  • Opening a local office or entering the market of a new bookmaker leads to opening new jobs, and the staff can be pretty significant. For countries with developing economies, this is a considerable benefit.
  • Fashion for sports is constantly changing, which leads to increased interest among users and the development of individual disciplines. For example, in Kenya, there has been a significant increase in interest in betting on ping pong.

Thus, despite the somewhat negative attitude of the public, bookmakers may be more useful for the country than many other businesses.

Negative Aspects

The greatest negative in society is caused by the stories of people who lost all their money and ruined their lives. It is difficult to stop an addicted gambler; he does not slow down in the face of responsibility, family, and fate! In this area, the question of bookmakers’ moral duty arises especially acutely: the player or the structure of civilization is to blame.

The habit of losing large sums of money with bets at a bookmaker’s office can lead to a dangerous illness — gambling addiction. It is a mental illness that requires medical attention. As a rule, a person suffering from gambling addiction does not want to admit to themselves, much less to their loved ones, that they are sick. On the contrary, they firmly believe that “if I borrow now, I will not only recoup the loan but will also be a big plus.” They want to prove to themselves and others that they can make a stable living betting on a bet. It’s just that now there are temporary difficulties, and he needs money a little.

At first, a person does not realize the complexity of his situation. It seems to them that nothing is wrong with losing money again and that everything can still be corrected with one or two successful transactions. A complete collapse will come a little later, for sure. It’s terrible if no one is around, and the situation will worsen even more. If you have loved ones nearby, we recommend that they take away all gadgets and bank cards so that the gambling addict cannot physically place bets in bookmakers.

Is it possible to get rid of addiction to sports betting? Yes, first you need to do the following steps:

  • Delete all accounts in bookmakers without the possibility of recovery.
  • Replace betting with some hobby (perhaps undeservedly forgotten).
  • Take frequent walks in nature.
  • Read useful books.
  • Try to exclude betting and sports in general from attention.

The first step is to delete your account in all bookmakers where the player is registered. All responsible bookmakers provide this opportunity and encourage users to regularly assess their condition and not miss the first signs of developing a gambling addiction.

Conclusion

The thirst for betting is part of our life. The constant need for excitement moved us evolutionarily, and we came to the current picture of the world naturally. The betting industry will change; the experience of limiting addicted gamblers is gradually being introduced into the global community. This should help eliminate discouraged gamblers and leave only a healthy approach to the game. What is more good or evil in bookmakers? The answer is simple: Like everything else in our lives, betting has its pros and cons. And the impact on specific lives depends on the responsibility and reasonableness of users.

Jonathan Lewis is an MFF sports writer