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The betting mirage and lessons never learnt

All in: Punters spent more than ever before during the World Cup PIC.THESTREET.COM
All in: Punters spent more than ever before during the World Cup PIC.THESTREET.COM

Thanks to the FIFA World Cup, betting platforms recorded a surge in revenues, thriving on the millions who believed they could outsmart the odds. For households already battling shrinking disposable incomes, the tournament became as much an economic event as it was a sporting spectacle, writes TIMOTHY LEWANIKA

The discussion on the World Cup 2026 has centred on the usual banter on ‘GOATs’ (Ronaldo vs Messi), team support and sports betting. Beyond the frenzy of goals and the 90 minute adrenaline rush, much of the eyeballs on the screens are watching out for the manifestation of fortunes, something which may reshape the way the world views sports forever.

Of these discussions, sports betting has taken centre stage, intensifying as the competition has moved towards its climax.

Editor's Comment
Violence doesn't solve anything!

Our weekly edition carries painful articles of people being murdered. Whilst some are classified as Gender Based Violence (GBV), there are still a large percentage of murder cases, which often happen at drinking spots, after people are heavily intoxicated. We have in the past carried articles where an individual was murdered because they refused to give someone a cigarette, and sadly this is where we are at now!In this very edition, there is an...

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