A police advocacy group, Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), has expressed concern over gambling addiction among youths.

The national coordinator of POCACOV, CSP Ebere Amaraizu, said on Wednesday that Gambling remained a pull factor pushing youths into social vices.

Mr Amaraizu said this while speaking on the recent dangers of gambling addiction and the challenges and way out for young Nigerians. According to him, youth gambling addiction is an ill wind that blows no good to anyone.

“Hence, the advocacy for a holistic societal approach where all hands will be on deck by all relevant stakeholders to checkmate the emerging trend with a view to revising it,” he said.

He noted that one of the main draws of gambling was the promise and expectation of great reward, maintaining that young people often struggle to deal with losses properly and tend to overcompensate by spending more money to bet.

“Gambling encourages reckless and irresponsible behaviour and inhibits the ability to properly assess risks and consequences. It is obviously a pull factor to vices, depression, suicide and some cases of mental disorder, among others,” stated Mr Amaraizu.

He added, “Survey conducted revealed that Gambling addicted youths are prone to missing schools, having low grades in schools and school dropouts. It destroys academic life and career successes.”

Mr Amaaizu noted that youths addicted to gambling are more prone to substance and drug abuse which increases the pathways and engagement in criminal activities, stressing that curbing gambling addiction would require the participation of all relevant stakeholders through holistic societal approaches.

“There is also a need to create a better and safer environment for children to grow and thrive through adult guidance and parent support programmes which will concentrate on the negative consequences of gambling/betting,” explained Mr Amaraizu, urging various regulatory and reorientation agencies to “rise up to the challenges for a safe, peaceful and secured society and a better nation.” 

(NAN)