University student’s trauma in betting

By Joy Wambua

What begins as a normal bet in search of quick and easy money often turns into a painful phase of addiction, losses and regret for Kenyans, many young people.

‎‎Behind the excitement and promises of easy and free earnings, lies a hidden struggle that has left many students drained financially and most significantly, emotionally.

‎For Odira David Otieno, a student at Maseno University, betting started as curiosity after watching a friend win money but it soon became an addiction that nearly ruined his life.

‎“I started betting in April 2024,” says Odira David Otieno,as he narrates his journey into betting. To him, it all began because of peer pressure after being introduced to betting by a friend.

‎‎“I saw a friend winning big,” he says. This motivated Otieno and introduced him to the world of betting. He watched his friend place KSh.20 and withdraw KSh.200. His friend later taught him how betting works, and he immediately started betting too.

‎Otieno began with KSh.300 that he had set aside for his upkeep and managed to withdraw around KSh.1,400. This became huge motivation for him.

‎One day, he was sent KSh.10,000 for school fees, without extra money for upkeep and decided to use part of it for betting. At first, he deposited KSh.6,000. A few minutes before 11:00 a.m., hoping to make more money within the next 40 minutes, he lost everything and became traumatized.

‎‎With the remaining KSh.4,000, he decided to deposit again in an attempt to recover the money he had lost. Eventually, all the money meant for school fees was gone. “I just told my parents that I had paid the school fees,” he says.

‎That was during his second year in university. He then turned to friends to lend him the little money they had so he could survive. The incident placed him in a difficult situation because exams were approaching and he still had fees to pay. In the end, he somehow managed to pay.

‎“After this, I decided not to bet again,” he says. However, after four days, he received KSh.15,000 from an online business he was running and decided to use it for betting so he could repay his friends. Once again, all the money was lost instead of recovering what he had already lost.

‎This traumatized him even more because he had no food, yet his friends were demanding their money back.

“I was really addicted to betting. For two years, all I did was bet, but there was no income,” he says. “There were no huge earnings, only losses.”

‎‎I started looking for someone to help me stop betting. During that time, I met a girlfriend who helped me quit. She kept telling me, "Just stop betting and your life will flow smoothly again."

‎‎After two years, Otieno finally stopped betting and slowly saw his life improve again.

‎"Sometimes you plan to buy something important with your money, but you feel tempted to add more money through betting so that you can afford a better-quality item. The moment you try, you end up losing everything," he explains. The amount you deposit becomes a total loss, and you withdraw nothing.

“It is not an easy journey at all,” he notes. A parent can give you KSh.200 for food, but instead you use it for betting and end up withdrawing nothing. At that moment, there is no food in the house and no relative to help you, so you end up suffering just to survive.

‎‎According to Otieno, he has lost almost KSh150,000 through betting. He recalls how he ruined his barbershop business after using money meant for tokens and business operations to gamble. Instead of betting bringing growth to the business he had established through online work, it only brought losses.

‎‎“The main thing that helped me stop betting was my girlfriend who kept motivating me until I finally quit,” he says. The sad part is that you never earn. You are only motivated to continue betting with the little you get, and in the end, you are left with nothing.

‎His message to the youth is simple; “If you feel that betting is no longer a choice but an addiction, talk to a counsellor because it can really help you.”