- Albert CamusTruth is mysterious, elusive, always to be conquered. Liberty is dangerous, as hard to live with as it is elating. We must march toward these two goals, painfully but resolutely, certain in advance of our failings on so long a road.
However hard it is, even if we are not 100% holy, the truth must still be said. It is the minimum expected of us all if we are ever going to make progress as a nation. Be ready to say the truth. We must do this, even if we battle personal guilt. When we say the truth openly, we will do more good and help onlookers and listeners.
Truth is truth: About Sports Betting, Gambling, in Nigeria.
Truth: There's a plague, in our land.
Sports Betting now proliferates every nook and crannies of our nation. Nigerian youths have been affected by the ubiquitous phenomenon of gambling in form of sports betting apps.
Question is: is gambling, especially Sports betting doing any good in the lives of young and old Nigerians?
We believe Sports betting has done more harm than any good at all.
We preach it everyday. We wrote many articles on Azàland to expose this plague. We even have a package targeted at helping Nigerians with gambling problem to get back on course of their lives. But very few listen.
Why?
Digital Media Making Things Worse!
Have you browsed online media in Nigeria lately? News websites and all! They are all awash with Sports betting apps adverts.
Adverts of Beting9ja, Sportingbet, MySport, Praypesa, BetingKing, BetingBaba, 100ybet, and so on proliferate all the online media.
Even Nairaland, disappointing as it is, now displays betting adverts, to make money. I took some screenshot. I'll share.
Online Influncers Are Even Worse!
Comedians, MrMacaroni1, Sabinus, Sydney (the Towel guy) all of them, advocate for and advertise all these betting apps, portraying them as green grasses. As solutions to finacial problems. Encouraging more and more young people to get infected by this plague of gambling.
Little did they know that they may have blood in their hands after another young person Commits Suicide after losing everything to betting. Happens often. But under-reported.
Let Us Tell The Truth
Whatever happened to our value system in Nigeria. I feel we no longer have working conscience.
With what we know about gambling, the chances are low. Before anyone makes headway with sports betting, the lives of 100 others must have been ruined.
That is the hard fact!
Another Brain Drain: The Plague Itself
Betting takes away time, money, resources, ruins families, destroys careers, kills. Why encourage it?
It's an act of selfishness to advertise gambling or advertise the products when we know the evil it can do.
The creativity of many Nigerian youths have been lost due to this menace.
Many are dead. Many turned to drugs to numb the pain.
Government, do something!
Azàland Stands Against Gambling, Sports Betting
At Azà Hub, we want to enlighten the Nigerian people of the importance of financial literacy, and sensitize them to identify and get rid of bad financial traps. Like gambling.
We have good size of members and we are growing. We hope our voice is heard by the government someday soon, that we are also of the strong opinion that:
Gambling does more harm than good to the people
That Sports Betting is ruining the lives and creativity of our young people
That Gambling is evil.
That gambling should be banned in Nigeria.
We share similar sentiments with Reno Omokri.
Gambling kills. Gambling ruins lives.
#BanGambling
#BanSportsBetting
most blame their so-called misfortunes on the government, forgetting the fact that the government won't do everything for them. For example, let's say jobs are readily available, being employed depends on the individual and their qualifications. If there is no job opportunity, instead of blaming the government, they could learn hand work skills or resort to opening a business no matter how small. Not forgetting to mention that there are also many ways you can earn cool money online and achieve financial freedom without betting