Lifeline Botswana fights compulsive gambling

EDWARD BULE
Correspondent | Thursday November 18, 2010 00:00

 

Established in 1999, Lifeline Botswana is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and a regional representative of Lifeline Southern Africa and operates under Lifeline International. The NGO, whose vision is to see the people living happy, healthy and emotionally balanced lives, promotes behavioural change within society by way of training individuals to reduce their vulnerability to addiction, among other social ills.

The organisation, which influences spiritual rehabilitation, is worried that more and more people are becoming problem gamblers in Botswana. According to Lifeline Botswana director Vivian Gunda, between June last year and November this year, government issued a total of 11 licences for the opening of four casinos in Gaborone, two in Francistown and Selebi-Phikwe each and one each for Jwaneng, Lobatse, Palapye.

Her organisation takes this development as a major challenge to its core objectives.

The expansion in the number of casinos in the country, according to Gunda, is an indication that there is a market for gambling. 

Those who support gambling say that it provides recreation especially for single people. The possibility that the gambler would get a long-term financial relief after winning a jackpot at the casino is there.

According to Gunda and other experts, the negative effects of gambling far outweigh the benefits. Gamblers expose themselves to the possibility of being addictive gamblers and therefore to long-term damage to their personality, finances and relationships. Hitherto focused and productive workers become less productive or, at worst lose their jobs.

The loss of jobs by compulsive gamblers overstretches social and welfare service providers. It is also true that problem gamblers are likely to abuse both alcohol and drugs. Gamblers are more likely to sell family property such as the house, car, land or household goods to raise money for the game.

They also gamble away family savings, embezzle funds, and get involved in robberies and fraud. They are likely to get into marital problems as well.

Addictive gamblers cannot spend quality time with their families because they are so hooked to the slot machines trying to recover the money they lost. Lifeline provides counselling for those who are already addicted to gambling. Gunda says that their organisation has no problem with responsible gambling. She is, however, concerned that while bars and bottle stores now have to open and close at regulated times, casinos sell alcohol 24 hours a day.