The English online dictionary defines gambling as “an activity characterised by a balance between winning and losing that is governed by a mixture of skill and chance, usually with money wagered on the outcome”.
Therefore, lottery or football betting is gambling and the youths need to be conscientious on the fact that the legal license to participate in betting does not confer on them the moral licence to do so because both Christianity and Islam forbid gambling.
As a sports journalist and a big Liverpool fan, I have been tempted to go into betting on matches in most European leagues, but it didn’t just catch my fancy. Even though I have made some attempts in the past, albeit without success, my heart is just not in football betting.
But I have seen friends and relatives who are deep into the habit and I have noticed that such a habit might gradually develop into a character and could ruin the life of an individual in the future.
From the experiences of some great personalities in Europe and America where sports betting has been in practice long before it entered our clime, there is a strong correlation between alcoholism, drugs and gambling.
The likes of boxing great Mike Tyson, basketball legend Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods and football legend Paul Gascoigne, ended their careers badly with either alcohol, drugs and gambling being the culprit.
Paul Gascoigne, in particular, had a premature retirement from football as a Newcastle FC great. He lived a very controversial life of drugs alcohol and crime. He gambled to feed his craving and in so doing violated the laws oftentimes.
“George Best was known for his incredible soccer skills and his even greater ability to drink. After his long career with Manchester United, Best was loaned out to several other teams in order to draw fans. He would consistently miss practices and did not have a passion for the game. His alcoholism eventually led to an early and unfortunate death”, a source revealed.
Although, several betters in Nigeria would boast of the huge financial benefits, they hardly take stock of its social and spiritual implication.
Stories abound of youths who won a huge amount of monies but used it on alcohol and women. Those who were wise enough to invest on a property had gone back after squandering the rest, to sell those properties at incredibly low prices just to continue the fun or put the proceeds into betting.
Others have been scammed or robbed of what they won from the lottery.
Truly speaking, football lottery initiates one into a habit that becomes difficult to break out from and exposes one to some social anomalies and ultimately separates one from God.
That is why the Bible and Quran warn against gambling.
