Youth Against Betting (YAB), an anti-betting group last Saturday took its campaign to the Hansen Road Adventist church in Accra as part of efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of Betting.
Participants of the programme included members of the senior youth of the church and some representatives of YAB.
A founding member of YAB Mr Emmanuel K. Agyare in his presentation cautioned the youth against engaging in betting despite how popular it had become.
He said such acts have proven to be addictive and could have daring consequences, like anxiety, depression and serious financial troubles on individuals who practiced it.
He noted that a research by the National Institute of Health (NIH) showed that 8.5 per cent of males and 3.5 per cent of females showed signs of gambling disorder and concluded that 3.3 percent of gamers worldwide suffer from gaming addiction, representing 105.6 million gamers.
Gambling addiction he said increases by 23 folds for gamblers who also have alcohol disorders or addiction.
Mr Agyare expressed worry about Ghana being one of the leading African countries in gambling and called on authorities to as a matter of urgency implement strict measures to salvage the situation.
In furtherance, he mentioned that the Bible spoke against betting, therefore Christians must rise against the menace.
According to him, “1Timothy 6:9-10 but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.”
“For the love of money is the root of all evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows,” he quoted.
He therefore underscored the need for the church to provide a safe place for social gathering for the youth and collaborate with relevant institutions to create awareness on the adverse effects of betting and promote attitudinal and behavioral change.
Training on alternative livelihood for young people, he said must also be provided by the church and Ghanaians who mean well to prevent people from getting into betting due to poverty.
The Programmes Officer of YAB, Miss Julia Pwoawuvi in her remarks advised the youth to desist from betting and focus on activities that will only add value to their lives.
“There is nothing to gain in betting. It will only bring you more problems when you get addicted to it. You will lose money and get depressed, that is if you don’t end up in jail for stealing to bet. Let us all say no to betting,” she advised.
Also present at the event was Ms Raissa Sambou, a member of the YAB team.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
