Motivators of Students’ Involvement in Sports Betting in Public Secondary Schools in Mumias East Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

The proliferation of sports betting among youths has been a matter of great concern in Kenya and other parts of the world, given that some of these youths are school-going. This study examined the motivation behind students’ involvement in sports betting in public secondary schools in Mumias east sub-county, Kenya. The study adopted a causal-comparative design, with respondents comprising of 369 students, 206 parents and 21 class teachers, who were obtained by stratified random sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires. It was then analysed using frequencies, means and percentages. The study found that money is the main motivation behind student involvement in betting, followed by admiration of those who win. The social environment of students encourages betting involvement. The study also found that most students who bet are aware of the betting regulations and legislations governing betting. Weak or complete absence of enforcement of betting regulations and legislations is a catalyst for augmentation of betting involvement. The study recommends that: the Kenyan government should strengthen enforcement of gambling legislation that bars the under aged from betting; The government in consultation with relevant stakeholders should regulate gambling advertisements to help to reduce allurement of young people into betting; parents and religious leaders should teach young people the value of work, as a more reasonable means of getting money rather than betting; school administrators should dissuade teachers and school workers from betting while in the workplace for the impression and example it creates to students.