The Ravaging Effects of Online Gambling on The Social Functioning of Male Breadwinners In African Families

Abstract

This systematic review examines the ravaging effects of online gambling on the social functioning of male breadwinners in African families. Online gambling negatively impacts the social functioning of male breadwinners in African families. The researcher realized that online gambling among male African breadwinners leads to habitual neglect of the family and deterioration in socialization. As a result, the way African families function socially is often changed negatively by the male gambler's behaviour. Additionally, because these men are seen as the heads of the families and superiors in their communities, families are further burdened as they fear confronting the situation. The researcher adopted the PRISMA methods for this paper. Based on their excellent reputation and strong recommendations, the researcher used the following scientific search databases to gather data for this study: Google Scholar; Taylor and Francis; Scopus, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate. The researcher gathered 23 peer-reviewed journal articles, published between 2011 and 2024, and verified them after screening to ensure the study's eminence. Online gambling is growing daily across the globe, particularly in African continents. Some families rely on online gambling for survival due to the poverty rate and high unemployment among African communities. Male breadwinners are opting for online gambling to support their families financially despite its addictive nature and lack of monitoring in many parts of Africa. Because online gambling is so addictive, some male breadwinners find that they spend less time with their families, being more focused on gaming. This study is pivotal as it creates awareness in African continents about the ravaging effects of online gambling among male breadwinners. This study can be further expanded by focusing on African continents, especially in South Africa, where online gaming has been recorded as high in the past few years among males.