Miss Mpumalanga educates public
Miss Mpumalanga educates the public on illegal gambling.
SECUNDA – The Mpumalanga Gambling Board’s (MGB) journey to educate and inform communities of the province on illegal gambling and how to help those addicted, continued to Thembisile Hani local municipality last week.
The MGB’s continued legacy of hosting awareness campaigns throughout the province saw Miss Mpumalanga 2015 and MGB ambassador responsible for gambling, Zamanene Nene, interacting with community members at Verena, Kwagga and Phola Park recently.
“Gambling is a form of entertainment that takes place when a person risks losing money or belongings over a game where the outcome is decided mostly by chance” explained Nene.
People were warned against gambling on unlicensed sites, which poses more damage than good, since the games are not tested and approved.
Nene further explained the types of illegal gambling which members of the public must avoid, such as Fahfee (umshayina), dice games for money, card games for money, internet gambling, Chinese roulette (commonly known as 50c machines) and any type of gambling performed at sites that do not have a gambling license.
Nene asked people to report any illegal gambling activities to the police or the MGB at 013 750 800.
She sparked a debate and curiosity among the audience, asking and answering questions posed to her.
The community members raised concerns that Fahfee, betting on dice and cards for money are very popular in their communities.
Most of the participants confirmed that they were not aware that the gambling machines publicly displayed in cafes accessible to minors, were illegal.
Among the participants, there were people who had allowed the machines to be placed in their shops and vowed to remove the machines.
Concluding her talk, she reminded the audience that gambling can only be exercised at a licensed venue.
She went on to share a few tips on how to make the gambling experience harmless and safe by:
· Not borrowing money to gamble;
· Setting a budget and sticking to it;
· Not spending money that is intended for other expenses;
· Only gamble with money you can afford to lose;
· Not thinking of gambling as a way to make money;
· Not trying to win back what’s been lost;
· Keeping gambling low-risk;
Help for people addicted to gambling is available through the National Responsible Gambling Programme at 0800 006 008 or by sending a “please call me” to 076 675 0710.
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