Abstract
The study aimed at assessing the effects of sports gambling among the youths of Blantyre City in Southern Malawi. In this study, the sample size was made up of 30 youths compromising 19 males and 11 females. They were randomly selected by the researcher through probability sampling. Questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. The study achieved a 100% response rate. The study revealed that 84.2% of the youths involved in sports betting are not aware of any of the rules or regulations protecting them as bettors, 68% of them do not invest in the money they get. Asked how this activity has affected them either negatively or positively, it is discovered it has brought more harm than good. A total of 9 of the respondents were affected by addiction, 5 of the respondents had financial constraints caused by betting, 3 of the respondents agreed that it wasted their time and 8 of them said that it affected them positively as it helps them spend their leisure time. The study established that sports betting is an activity that can jeopardize the social and moral welfare of the youths; hence, more research on sports betting addiction is needed about the youths to examine more the effects associated with this activity in Blantyre; and that more protection must be devised for the youths through the main stakeholders to safeguard their moral, social and academic welfare. The government policy should be more strengthened and tightened by increasing the eligible age for bettors and that more awareness about pathological betting is needed among the youths of Blantyre. Key words: Gambling, betting, youths, effect, sports.
Highlights
The gambling industry has experienced rapid expansion over the past years as new laws legalized more types of gambling (Yuan et al, 1996)
No of participators any of the rules or regulations protecting them as betters. They do it blindly not knowing what may happen to them in case something legal comes up in relation to sports betting as a form of gambling
A total of 9 of the respondents were affected by addiction, for 5 of the respondents it caused financial constraints, 3 of the respondents agreed that it wasted their time and 8 of the respondents said that it affected them positively as it helps the spend their leisure time
Summary
The gambling industry has experienced rapid expansion over the past years as new laws legalized more types of gambling (Yuan et al, 1996). According to Vacek (2011) gambling in various forms has been around throughout recorded history, but its in-depth study is a recent phenomenon occasioned by the resurgence of widespread gambling in America in the 1980s and 90s. According to Newall et al (2019), adverts made by bookies have attracted many young players into gambling. The driving force behind the increase in the participation by young players in gambling is due to the online technology and universal access to the internet.
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