Gambling is the wagering of money or something of value, it is an
event with an uncertain outcome with the primary purpose of winning. The Oxford English Dictionary defines gambling as an activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by a mixture of chances.
Betting, on the other hand, is an agreement between two
parties that a stake (usually money) will be paid by the loser to the
winner, the winner who correctly forecast the outcome of an event.
Sport betting has become a trending issue among youths
all over the major cities of Nigeria; in which each corner of a street
has a betting center and it is always filled with youths who want to
get rich quick thinking betting is the only way to escape poverty
without acquiring the requisite skills of getting rich.
But betting has become a serious hidden addiction in
which one cannot see it in their body or smell it in their breathe.
This ‘addiction’ leads them to feel more reluctant and lazy believing it
is the easiest means of earning money without stress.
If some youth from the ages of 18-40 choose betting
with the probability of getting rich, therefore, they need to learn the
fundamentals of financial and time management. If you cannot invest
with your current earnings of N20, 000 per month that means you will not
be able to manage N5 million when you are opportune.
Sport betting, no doubt, has bad influence on youth. This
bad influence includes drug abuse, low grade in their studies if one is
a student, illegal activities of financial usage, lack of time to
concentrate on their daily activities and other high risk behaviours
that are against the law.
The successful people around us did not create the wealth they
Enjoy; they get that through dedication, hard work and financial
management in which they sustain and protect it. I am sure that many
Nigerian youth admire and want to be like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, thinking it is by jumping up and down and doing nothing with the little they earn. They expect manna to fall from heaven not knowing that wealth creation is about plan and management.
Nigerian youth must learn that getting rich is all about
developing what is within and bringing the best out of them by casting
out the spirit of laziness and think big. This can be achieved through starting up
something good that may lead to the development of the nation.
Our youth should learn that miracle does not just happen to
those who do not work for it and betting is never a source of wealth. So, they should try to bring out the best in them by displaying the different
skills in them in order to tackle the economic recession in the
country. I urge the youth to do away with betting activities and
concentrate on building their capacity, ability and their energy
and put them in a correct and good stead in order to take advantage of
any good opportunity that comes their way.
Shun 9Ja Bet and learn entrepreneurial skills.
Falmata Bukar Kale,
300 level student,
Department of Mass Communication,
University of Maiduguri