Games and Gambles: How Viewership of Football Games Influences Gambling Behaviour in Nigeria
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Date
2020
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Abstract
Scholars indicate that gambling is on the increase in Nigeria and suggest that this could be associated with
several factors, including increase in the viewership of the English Premier League (EPL), but there is hardly any
empirical evidence to support these claims. This study, therefore, examined the viewership of English Premier
League and how it influences the gambling behaviour of Nigerians. Survey research design was triangulated with
interviews and website observation. Data were analysed using simple percentages and frequencies computed
with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings indicate that gambling is on the increase and
there is a significant relationship between gambling behaviour and perceived viewership of football games as the
literature suggests. However, the results also indicate that gambling advertisements in the media influence
gambling behaviour. It is, therefore, recommended that access to league matches featuring sport betting and
gambling advertisements should be regulated to curb the escalating incidence of gambling and its damaging
effects on the social, economic, psychological and moral health of the society