Effect of Gambling on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Educational District V of Lagos State, Nigeria

FALADE, Enitan Omolara Ph.D.1, ABANUM Collins I.2

1,2 Lagos State University, Ojo

Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Foundation and Counselling Psychology

INTRODUCTION 

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with a population of about 207 million people (data Cutlog, 2020), seventh-most populated in the world after Brazil followed by Bangladesh before Russia, Nigeria is currently governed by religious fundamentalist groups. Gambling exist in Nigeria (Gambari, 2015), the website is licensed by the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB).  Gambling sites is the third most visited site by youth after google and YouTube.  The most popular forms of gambling in present-day Nigeria are online betting and Bet9ja is at the top of the list.  However, some argue that gambling in Nigeria will soon be a greater public health problem than substance misuse (Chin and Sanju, 2020).  Gambling addiction is quite popular among secondary school students throughout Nigeria, although gambling is a nationwide phenomenon, educational district V of Lagos state in Nigeria is adversely affected.

Corresponding Author: FALADE, Enitan Omolara

*Cite this Article: FALADE, Enitan Omolara Ph.D., ABANUM Collins I. (2022). Effect of Gambling on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Educational District V of Lagos State, Nigeria. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies, 2(6), 208-211

Since the beginning of the sports betting in the gambling industry, there has been competition in the industry with emerged of many sports betting companies like Naira bet, Sahara bet, Bet9ja, 1960Bet and so many others. If you have been to a sports betting viewing Centre or have been to a sports betting shop, you will agree with me that sports betting is gradually eating deep into the minds of our youth that they are beginning to see it as ‘Business as usual’, this trend of ‘I want to make money’ has affected the mind of the youths (Alabi, 2014).

The impact of gambling on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities has become an increasingly public issue. With the advent of new technologies making gambling products and opportunities more accessible in the environments than ever before, governments are considering how best to respond to the potential risks and benefits posed by these potentially harmful products. While there has been significant and important evidence about the harms caused by some forms of land-based betting, such as electronic gaming machines, EGMs, “pokies” or “slots” Agbala (2016), much less is known about the impact of newer forms of gambling, such as online sports betting. This is important given that many jurisdictions that have legalized online betting are now playing “catch up” with regulatory frameworks seeking to prevent and minimize the harms associated with the provision and promotion of these products (Hughes, 2016). 

Gambling has some negative consequences, and it has a form of behaviour that has been identified to have serious consequences on bettors’ health, study habit, and academic performance, and has been reported to be related to some criminal behaviour (Oyebisi, Alao, & Popoola, 2012). Also, gambling has been generally defined as betting or wagering money or something of value on an event that has an uncertain outcome with the possibility of winning money or materials (Korn & Shaffer, 1999; Potenz, Heninger, Rounsaville, & Mazure, 2002). Gambling include activities such as animal racing, card games, video lottery, Internet cards and casino games (Potenza, 2002). Young people including secondary school students are high-risk group for betting problems (Moore, 2013). A high prevalence of gambling participation and problem betting have been found among different secondary School students populations (Etel, Tabchi, Bou Khalil, Hlais & Richa, 2013; McComb & Hanson, 2009; Mubaraka & Blanksbya, 2013; Tozzi, Akre, Fleury-Schubert & Suris, 2013). Consequences of gambling among Students have also resulted in economic and social costs to individuals and families, as well as to communities. Such costs include traffic congestion, demand for more public infrastructure or services (roads, schools, police, fire protection, etc.), environmental effects, and displacement of residents, increased crime, and pathological or problem betting. Pathological betting contributes to bankruptcy and bad debts; these increase the cost of credit throughout the economy (Davies, 2013). Pathological bettors do involve in crime, financial difficulties, and disruptions of interpersonal relations. According to the criteria presented in the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a pathological bettors may be and often is defined by the presence of at least a few of these consequences (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

Many families of pathological bettors suffer from a variety of financial, physical, and emotional problems (Chambers, 2011). Most bettors had serious emotional problems and had resorted to drinking, smoking overeating, and impulse spending. Cutlog (2020) found that the spouses of pathological bettor suffered from chronic or severe headaches, stomach problems, dizziness, and breathing difficulties, in addition to emotional problems of anger, depression, and isolation (Agbala, 2016).

Furthermore, children of bettors were more likely to describe their childhood as unhappy periods of their lives. They equally distance themselves from family and friends, who are alternately neglected and manipulated for “bailouts” (Oyebiri, Alao & Popoola, 2012). Also, the ultimate relationship costs to the bettor typically become manifest when the bettor reaches a stage of desperation or hopelessness. Chineye & Sanju (2020) also found that children of pathological bettors frequently reported feelings of anger, sadness, and depression. There is a perception of losses about children, friends, and family members.

Secondary School students engage in a wide range of gambling behaviours, including playing the lottery, poker/cards for money, casino games (that is, slots/poker machines), horse racing, betting on sports and internet betting (Burger, Dahlgren & MacDonald, 2006; Engwall, 2004; McComb & Hanson, 2009; Moore, 2013). However, gambling may include everyday activities that might not normally be associated with connotations of the word betting such as raffles sponsored by communities or organizations, bingo, or childhood board games. Gambling can also be understood as the established practice of staking money or other valuables on games or events with an uncertain outcome (Binde, 2014). Public perceptions of gambling are often misleading, people are usually aware that gambling poses serious risks to those who are predisposed to it. 

However, on the other hand, it is also acknowledged that gambling can have positive impact for communities (for example, via providing a source of revenue for sporting clubs or humanitarian causes) and can be an enjoyable pastime for individuals (Vong, 2009). There is ample evidence showing that people’s attitudes toward gambling are good predictors of how much people bet and how likely they are to experience gambling-related problems. A common finding is that those who hold more positive attitudes toward gambling are more likely to bet and experience betting-related problems (Chiu & Storm, 2010; Delfabbro, Lambos, King, & Puglies, 2009; Delfabbro & Thrupp, 2003; Orford, Griffiths, Wardle, Sproston, & Erens, 2009; Wardle, 2011; Williams, Connolly, Wood, & Nowatzki, 2006; Wood & Griffiths, 2004). Nigeria youths especially secondary school students are engaging themselves in gambling as a means of surviving; this is an intricate issue of special concern as this behaviour may predispose them to pathological or compulsive gambling (Oyebisi, Alao, & Popoola, 2012).

METHOD AND INSTRUMENT 

The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. A simple random sampling technique was employed in selecting students from the targeted population. The study made use of a questionnaire to collect relevant information from the respondents on the effect of gambling on the academic performance of secondary school students in the educational district V of Lagos state, Nigeria. 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Research Question 1: What is the motivation for gambling

among secondary school students in educational district V of Lagos state, Nigeria?

Table 1: the motivation for gambling among secondary school students in educational district V of Lagos state, Nigeria

Table 1 shows the factors that encourage gambling among secondary school students in the educational district V of Lagos State revealed that deriving happiness from sports betting (338, 82.5%); the anxiety of anticipated winning (331, 80.9%); an increases the socioeconomic status 338(82.5); sport betting addiction (312, 76.5%); the hope of applying past experiences increasing the chances of winning, overzealous to win (321,78.6%); enhances reduction in tension and stress (334, 81.6%); lack of will power to stop betting (335, 81.8%), and joy derived from money won in the past (318, 77.9%).

According to Hing, Russell, Thomas and Jenkinson (2019), gambling frequency among regular bettors was determined by how much they were exposed to betting advertisements. They found that on each day that respondents interacted with advertisements, reasonable minorities reported increased amount betted as well as frequency. In this study, since not all students owned phones, their betting frequency would thus be determined by availability and access to betting infrastructure.

Also, a high prevalence of betting participation and problem gambling has been found among college students in different states (Mubaraka and Blanksbya, 2013).

Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between gambling, student motivation and their academic performance in educational district V of Lagos state, Nigeria.

Table 2:  Composite relationship of gambling, student motivation and their academic performance

Table 2 shows that the independent variables are statistically significantly related to the dependent variable, F(7, 386) = 7.129, p < 0.05. The correlation was significant at 0.05 level of significance; therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected. Hence, there is a significant relationship between gambling, student motivation and their academic performance in educational district V of Lagos State, Nigeria. In addition, the table also shows that the R-value = 0.324 while the adjusted R2-value = 0.090. This indicates that the independent variables accounted for only 9.0% of the variance in students’ motivation. 

This is in agreement with the position of Oyebisi, Alao, & Popoola (2012) who opined that gambling is a form of behaviour that has been identified to have serious consequences on bettors’ health, study habit, academic performance, and has been reported to be related to some criminal related behaviour (Oyebisi, Alao, & Popoola, 2012).

CONCLUSION 

From the foregoing study, we can make the following conclusion.

1. In the Ojo local government area of Lagos State, Bet9ja shops are widespread.  Almost every youth and students have a profile in those Bet9ja shops or houses.  Since it is evident that many students in Ojo local government involve in Bet9ja, the state and civil society can help to curb and instill strict measure so as to reduce the rate of reduce the rate of student participation.
2. At least the state and civil society can monitor, so as to reduce the involvement the student participation, it has really affected the students’ performance, makes them miss classes, and also poor mental and physical health.

RECOMMENDATIONS 

The following recommendations were raised for this study;

1. Parents /guardians, relatives, and so on should live by example in choosing and selecting the vocation that will have positive impacts in the life of their wards. 
2. The present-day government should see to the welfare of students in terms of funding, equipping, building and the provision of all educational facilities that will enable them to concentrate on their studies. 
3. Parents should monitor the education of their wards in their respective schools of learning, to see whether they are serious with their studies or not.
4. The need to enforce discipline in students in terms of good behavioural value, moral, cultural, and academic value while in school or outside the school.

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