Get-rich quick syndrome: Sports betting, lottery as solutions?
* ‘N60 million Nigerians spend N1.8bn on sports betting daily’
* Clerics, expert express divergent views
When he won N58.9million after placing just two bets with N800, the news of his big win reverberated across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
Godwin Ighalo, a Professor of Computer Engineering at the Ambrose Ali University, Edo State was deeply immersed in the ocean of joy.
Like the biblical Hannah, he had erred on the side of patience, hoping and believing that fortune would smile on him before he emerged the biggest winner in the annals of sports betting in Africa when he won three years ago.
But the Professor of Computer Engineering made it clear it didn’t happen by accident. Hear him: “Since my childhood days, I used to have strong interests in probability, relationships, and special intelligence. All these with adequate sports betting research I conducted over the years made it possible.”
Naturally, being an underage punter, it may not be out of place to expect the parents of Taye Ogundipe, 13, to dissuade him from sports betting. But his biggest win of N50,000 was enough for his parents to give him their nod, thinking he would one day free them from the firm grip of poverty.
When he was spotted at a sports betting centre at Adesan, Ofada Mokoloki Local Council Development Area of Ogun State, Taye told The Daily Times that, “When I won N50,000, my mother took N30,000 and gave me the rest. I shared what was left with my siblings.’’
For Charles Mba, before he lost his plum job with a bank, nothing really ignited his interest in gambling of any form.
With three kids and a wife as responsibilities, shaking off the temptation of being a regular caller at lotto stands became a tall order, especially when testimonies of big winners around him fuel hope of better days.
Clean-shaven and clad in black suit, he joined other Nigerians in his Jimoh Balogun, Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos neighbourhood to perform the daily ritual of visiting lotto stands in the morning to get winning numbers.
Though Charles failed to win when the winning numbers were eventually out, he was full of hope.
“It’s a game. You either win or lose. Though I’m not happy that I’ve not won anything, I believe I will win big someday. Here, it’s all man for himself and God for us all. Whatever I can do to make money in legitimate way is okay by me. My brother, no one is ready to pay my bills, even if do, for how long?’’ he told The Daily Times.
Opinions are divided as to the real reason behind what has been described by observers as the huge growth of sports betting industry in Nigeria. While many trace it to the alarming rate of poverty in the land, a handful of others believe passion and the acceptance of the betting culture the world over can’t be divorced from it.
From the young to the old, North to South, West to East, the culture of gambling, observers say, has firmly taken roots.
Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in 2014, for example, suggested that 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 years spend about N1.8billion on sports betting daily. According to the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, the SMS Lottery and the gaming industry can bring N150 billion and over N300 billion respectively to the coffers of the state.
But baring his mind on the matter, Muslim cleric, Rasak Umoru, said God frowns at any form of gambling, especially sports betting.
Umoru said the Quran recognises it as ‘a social disease’.
“In Islam, gambling is not considered to be a game or frivolous pastime. The Quran often condemns gambling and alcohol together in the same verse, recognising both as a social disease which is addictive and destroys personal and family lives,’’ he said.
He further buttressed his argument with some verses in the Quran: “O you who believe intoxicants and gambling, dedication of stones and divination by arrows, are an abomination of Satan’s handwork. Eschew such abomination that you may prosper’’ (Quran 5:90).
“Satan’s plan is to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer; will you not then abstain?’’ (Quran 5 : 91)
However, a psychologist, Dr. John Etim, said sports betting has witnessed a surge in patronage because it provides an avenue to make it fast and beat the rat race.
Etim said: “Ours is a culture of stereotypes. The clear fact that hard work doesn’t pay immediately again in this clime has made every one across all age barriers to choose and follow whatever offers easy money. Here is the thinking, leadership considers their personal gains above our collective well-being, so the response of the masses is therefore find any excuse and means to satisfy themselves rather than look for work, and do their part for residual benefits.
“Sports betting which has been in existence for a long time suddenly saw a surge in patronage because it offers easy channels to ‘make it’ and beat the rat race. It isn’t selective of its patrons.
The students craving a better lifestyle, graduates not finding any sensible employment and the older generations under immense pressure to keep the families off the brink of starvation.
I know a few pensioners who are fully dependent on sports betting gratias to fend off sudden death. The list is endless but the thing to note here is that whatever the age grade, sports betting is a saviour that is not selective.’’
According to the Executive Chairman of Committee for the Protection of People’s Mandate, Mr. Nelson Ekujumi, the growing acceptance of sports betting in Nigeria is a direct result of the resolve of people to get rich as quickly as possible and “loss of value that the enduring route to success is hard work, honesty and integrity.’’
Ekujumi said: “Poverty is a factor that cannot be discountenanced, but most importantly is the lack of values about how to get rich. The loss of value that the only enduring route to success is hard work, honesty and the get rich quick syndrome no matter the means, is major reason propelling people into it.
Dismissing the claim that bad governance is responsible for it, Ekujumi explained that, “Even when you have good governance, if people have lost their sense of values and honour for hard work and integrity as key to wealth and success, they resort to gambling and other get-rich quick means like kidnapping, ritual killing, and prostitution. This is quite sad”.
Commenting on the matter, a cleric, Venerable Oluseyi Pirisola of the Anglican Communion said: ”The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, betting or the lottery.
The Bible does warns us, however, to stay away from the love of money. “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” – 1 Timothy 6: 10.
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you” – Hebrew 13: 5.
“The scripture also encourages us to stay away from attempts to “get rich quickly”. Proverbs 13: 11 says “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished.
But he who gathers by labour will increase”. “Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven” –Proverbs 23: 5.
“Also, Ecclesiastes 5: 10 declares “He who love silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This is also vanity”.
“Gambling most definitely is focused on the love of money and undeniably tempts people with the promise of quick and easy riches. We can discern from the Bible principles that God views gambling as a sin.
“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is”. – Ephesians 5: 17.
“Gambling is driven by greed which God hates. “Do you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.
“Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God”. – 1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 10.
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints”. – Ephesians 5:3.
“For this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”. Ephesians 5: 5
“Gamblers hope to gain money through the losses of others but the Bible condemns coveting other people’s possessions. “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house, you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his Ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s” – Exodus 20: 17.
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law has said, You shall not covet” – Romans 7: 7.
Gambling, even small amounts can arouse a destructive love of money.
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”- 1 Timothy 6: 9 – 10.
“Gamblers often rely on superstitions or luck. However, God views such beliefs as a form of idolatry, which is incompatible with his worship.
“But you are those who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Gad, and who furnish a drink offering for Meni” – Isaiah 65: 11.
“Gambling can arouse an unhealthy competitive Spirit which is disapproved in the Bible.
“Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” – Galatians 5: 26.
“Rather than promote a desire to get something for nothing, the Bible encourages hard work. “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that his soul should enjoy good in his labour. This also, I saw was from the hand of God”- Ecclesiastes 2: 24.
“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” – Ephesians 4: 28.
Those who follow biblical advice can “eat food they themselves earn”.
“For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.
Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread”- 2 Thessalonians 3: 10 – 12.
“Gambling is bad social policy. It is bad economic policy and it is bad governmental policy. Moreover, it undermines the moral foundations of society and invites corruption in government. As Christians, I believe we must stand against society’s attempts to legalise gambling.’’
