Sports Betting among Youth in the Cape Coast Metropolis

Abstract

Youth participation in sports betting has been surging. It has evolved from placing a wager on horse racing to a team game. This has brought about an addictive behaviour which may lead to heavy reliance on drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism when they lose. This calls for the need to explore the motivations for sports betting among the youth in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The social learning, rational choice and the problem behaviour theories informed the study. Guided by the qualitative research design, 24 sports bettors were conveniently and purposively selected for the study. Through in-depth interviews, the study revealed that monetary gains, enhancement motives, socialization and proximity to the betting outlets motivated people to engage in sports betting. In addition, males who are working, educated and are not legally married are actively involved in sports betting. Also, friends, peers, the media and curiosity influence someone’s decision to bet. The study discovered that sports betting has negative effects on subscribers by making them addicted to the act; thereby causing them to lose their properties and sometimes their lives. It is recommended, among other things, that government, through the Gaming Commission, should spearhead a mass education on the effects of sports betting.