Gambling can be fun
Betting can be fun when lady luck is on one‘s side - but a different story when the cards are stacked against you. Many Port Elizabeth residents have had their fair share of experiences with losing bets and have sworn never to bet a dime again.
A number of people have placed outrageous bets, gambling their possessions, savings and even families for the sake of making a quick buck. Last year a man from Mthatha challenged a friend to bet against him ahead of an Orlando Pirates versus Kaizer Chiefs derby, with the hope of a Pirates victory.
So confident was the man that he offered his wife, house, car and everything he owned to his friend if his team lost.
Alas, the betting gods were not smiling on him. Pirates lost and his friend came to collect what was *rightfully* his. The man could not accept the loss of all he had built up and committed suicide.
The thought of gambling, especially to the extent of offering to give up one‘s family, leaves a sour taste in the mouths of some. *Betting is not a Christian thing to do. God will provide whatever one needs. I am entirely satisfied with what God has given me. I don‘t even play the Lotto,* - said Walmer‘s Rosa-Marie Stephenson, 66.
Local businessman Michael Amachukwu recalled the last time he placed a bet was in his childhood days when he was discouraged from gambling by his mother after bringing home his modest winnings. I have never betted again since that day and I advise everybody else not to get involved in gambling. Betting leads to a lot of people going into debt and ultimately crime.
*There are other means through which people can make money, and gambling is not one of them,* he said.
MF Adam, 48, believes it is not worth using the little money people have on gambling. *Nowadays there is no time to gamble. With the earnings we get it is really not worth it,* (Seeing that some people put their wives up for grabs, the solution for those who see a need to gamble would be not to get married in the first place).
After witnessing others going into debt because of betting, security firm employee Siyanda Ngqame had seen enough to keep him away from gambling. *I am avoiding falling into the same trap others have been in. I have seen people spending all their income on lousy bets.*
Leon de Beer, 58, is convinced he will never gamble, even if millions of rands are at stake. *Betting is definitely not a hobby I‘d take up. It is much too expensive for me,* he said. Musasa Ketshabele, originally from Zeerust in the North West, has a different view. The faithful Kaizer Chiefs supporter would be willing to put big money on his team and intended to bet all of his earnings from this month on Amakhosi for a victory in the Vodacom Challenge final against Manchester United on Saturday.
*That‘s just the kind of faith real supporters have in their teams. If one doesn‘t win, it‘s not the end of the world – you can always start over again, and get another wife,* he said.
Chumani Bambani HERALD REPORTER
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