Assessing Factors that Influence Teenagers’ Involvement in Gambling Activities in Tanzania: A Case of Tandika Ward of Temeke District, Dar es Salaam - Tanzania

Abstract

Gambling is not a new phenomenon in the society and to the field of scholars. The subject has been in existence since the ancient societies, nevertheless it has gained popularity with more human interactions and modernization. Of late, gambling has gained attention due to the age problem in which there is a concern of growing numbers of teenagers who engage in gambling activities. The main aim of this study was to assess the factors for increasing teenagers’ involvement in gambling activities. Thus, the objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of legislation in controlling teenage gambling. The explorative study was conducted in Temeke district of Dar es salaam and it engaged both qualitative and quantitative methods. A sample of 99 participants was selected through simple random sampling, snow ball sampling and convenience sampling. The study employed in-depth interview and questionnaire to collect information that enabled the writing of this paper. Qualitative data was analyzed by use of thematic data analysis methods while quantitative data was analyzed with graphs and percentages of responses as well as paragraph explanations. The findings revealed that there are legislative factors that influence teenagers involvement into gambling activities, the factors include: ineffectiveness of Tanzania Gambling Act (TGA) of 2006, ineffectiveness of Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT), District Administrative Secretary (DAS’) office, and Ward Executive Offices (WEO). The study recommended that the government should review the policies and clearly stipulate further restrictions and repercussions on areas concerning teenagers and/or under age involvement in gambling activities. Through the Regional Administration and Local Government Authority (RALG) departments and Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) to design awareness programs to the public and sensitize members of public on social and economic adverse effects of gambling to teenagers. Parents should be encourages to be responsible and accountable for the behaviors of their children. Also, the local government authorities should be training in technology aspects and equipped with resources to execute better on their roles in the communities.