A NATION OF GAMBLERS!

• 4 million people gamble in Zim
• ‘Gambling just like drugs, alcohol’
• Man loses wife, kids, home

By Kundai Marunya

Gambling is causing untold suffering in the country, with some of the results being broken marriages, theft and increased poverty.
Dr Edmos Mtetwa, a lecturer at the School of Social Work in Harare, sees the increasing rate of gambling as a social disease, motivated by economic reasons.
“Gambling became more rampant during the difficult years that preceded the introduction of the multiple currency system in Zimbabwe in 2009. It has now become a source or an additional source of livelihood for many,” he said in recent reports.
“It will not alleviate poverty but instead swindle punters of hard-earned cash in addition to breeding a generation of young people who do not know right from wrong.”
According to statistics by casino.org, 26 percent of the world population gambles. In Zimbabwe this would translate to at least four million people.
Among the four million gamblers is Tapiwa Mupiya (not real name) whose life has been torn apart by an addiction to betting.
Nhau recently observed him in a betting shop in Harare, cheering on the action that was being shown on a television set while elevating his position with every passing second.
As the race climaxed, he was in an upright position, hands raised in the air, ready to release a loud cheer, only to fall back on his sit in disappointment.
His face turned pale, life drained from his eyes.
A friendly chat with this reporter, to figure out what could be so wrong to suddenly vanquish his excitement in a split second, revealed a loss many Zimbabwean men are now used to.
Except this was the last of Mupiya’s monthly salary. On this day, he was betting on a dog race and the dog he had put all his money on, lost by a split second.
“I once lost money I had been given by my wife to give to someone else,” said Mupiya. “This is actually the third time I’ve lost all my salary to bets.”
A fellow punter, who was eavesdropping on our conversation interjected, revealing that it was much more than three times. One may wonder why he keeps on going back. His wife has since packed her bags and left their matrimonial home.
“Sometimes I win big. At one time, that was in 2015, I won US$500 on one soccer match,” he said retrieving a laminated receipt of his winnings from his wallet.
He carries it with him everywhere he goes as a reminder of what he can achieve with gambling. He believes he can get all he has lost in just one bet.
It is this belief, which none of his friends and family shares, that has left him isolated, single and barely getting by.
Mupiya said he was introduced to gambling by one of his colleagues.
“It was during the rainy season, and heavy rains were pouring so we sought shelter in a betting outlet,” he narrated to Nhau how the seeds of his ruinous addiction were planted.
“A colleague I was with showed me how to place a bet. I put up a dollar on a motorcycle race and before you know it I had won $15. From then on, I would regularly bet, winning most of the time.”
The little wins inspired Mupiya to bet more, so he placed a $50 bet which won him the $500 whose receipt he keeps in his wallet. He decided to go bigger and bet his full salary in batches on different sports.
“I lost some and won some. At the end of the day I went home with a little above what I had been paid.”
He then made a habit of betting his salary hoping to go home with a bit more than he had worked for. Luck, however, ran out and he lost everything.
“The first time I lost my salary I lied to my wife that I had been robbed to cover up the shame of losing,” he said.
The second time he made up another lie but was caught with a receipt of the money he had bet.
“We had a huge fight over the issue but in the end, I apologised and she forgave me and made me promise never to bet again,” he said.
At that time, Mupiya was the sole breadwinner of a family of four. Losing his monthly salary meant he had to default on rentals and borrow money for food and transportation to work.
He borrowed from his family and friends, money he could not afford to pay back.
“I ended up selling household goods to buy food and pay for other expenses,” he said.
His habit followed him everywhere – he even bet whatever little he would have scavenged for food. Mupiya’s wife eventually got fed-up and left him.
Those who know Mupiya say there is more to the story.
“He once gambled his son’s school fees and lost it all. Many a times he comes here selling different items, only to lose all the money,” said a regular at Mupiya’s betting outlet of choice.
“I heard he steals from relatives and sells the items to get money for gambling.”
Mupiya’s story may seem unique but it is not the only tragic loss of income and possession to gambling.
A visit to various sports betting outlets by Nhau revealed shocking stories, including a man who lost all the money he had saved up to pay lobola.
Some lost money for rentals, bus fares and even money to cover funeral expenses.
In farming and mining communities, betting (njuga) is known to be one of the biggest triggers of fights and murders. People are known to bet all their clothing only to go back home wearing sacks.
Though many laugh at these stories, sometimes treating gamblers with scorn, psychologists suggest gambling gives a high that is similar to that of drugs, thus those who practice it being prone to addiction.
“Gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs or alcohol can, leading to addiction,” said Dr Rosemary Ishmael.
“If you have a problem with compulsive gambling, you may continually chase bets that lead to losses, hide your behavior, deplete savings, accumulate debt, or even resort to theft or fraud to support your addiction.” Nhau/Indaba